Blackened Heart
by Xo4UiWilL14xo
Summary: Elise flocks with her brother James and his heroic friends and Regulus drowns in a sea of seriously wicked Slytherins. But maybe the two aren't as different as they appear-Maybe there's something far more treacherous and beautiful between the two.
1. Year Three

It was a crisp autumn day as Elise treaded down towards theGreatLake. She ruffled her dark bangs and tightened her blue and bronze scarf, hiding her cold nose into the warm wool. As much as she loved how beautiful Hogwarts seemed during this time of season, she could have done without the bone snapping chill in the air.

Elise had grown accustom to her house, if not, she'd come to love being a Ravenclaw. It was embarrassing to believe the fuss she'd first made when not being sorted into Gryffindor. After all, being separated from everyone seemed torturous at the beginning, but as she'd adjusted to her life as a Ravenclaw she found herself making new friends and belonging to another group. But that isn't to say she didn't manage her time for the boys; every week and after class they'd all get together and somehow find each other.

She walked past the students lounging around underneath trees or near the banks of the lake, often narrowing her eyes in search of the gang. It wasn't until she heard the loud and familiar voices of her brother and Sirius did she hurry her pace and make her way towards the tall oak tree where she also believed she saw the back of Peter's head poke out from.

"Watch it!"

In her hot pursuit of the boys, she'd completely bumped into somebody and knocked over his books.

She meekly apologized and bent over to help even when she didn't appreciate the arrogant and presumptuous tone to his voice.

"It's alright' he sighed annoyed, hastily grabbing the few books before Elise's hand could even touch them. "-just don't touch anything" he annunciated each word loudly as if to emphasize how much he didn't like the girl causing this mess and just being in his presence. His orders were loud and aggressive enough to catch James' attention from behind the tree.

"Well…I-I said I was sorry!" Elise had managed to at least pick up his Charms textbook. She angrily outstretched her arm to give it to him but it was when she noticed his shockingly familiar grey eyes did she stop herself midway.

It was Regulus, crouched down and glaring at Elise through his dark bangs. He had been wearing a stern expression but it slowly dropped once his eyes meet upon the girl's cool blue ones.

"Eli?" James had already begun to stride towards the two with Remus and Sirius and a shy Peter Pettigrew closely behind wishing that this wouldn't result into a confrontation.

Regulus snapped at the sound of his voice, suddenly rubbing his mouth and returning to his stolid composure.

"Hi…Uh…"

Regulus had ripped the book from her hand and abruptly stood up. "….thank you" he harshly muttered and with that he started to make his way around the stunned girl but before he could, James had already grabbed him by the shoulder.

"James really…. It's quite alright" Elise stood from her spot and tried to reason, but her brother completely ignored her and glared at the Slytherin boy, who had turned around to return the irate glare he was receiving from Gryffindor's own self-proclaimed hero.

"…It was my fault, entirely; I was being awfully rude to him"

Peter and Remus had made their way besides Elise watching the scene unfold silently; it was actually Sirius who had interrupted the two in the end. "Regulus?" His voice was stately and strong, something new for Elise.

James and Regulus' pupils flickered towards Sirius, as if in sync.

"Brother…."

James slowly loosened his grip until he'd entirely removed his hand from Regulus' shoulder. He nervously fixed her glasses, pushing them harder again the bridge of his nose and when Sirius noticed this, he simply nodded to his best friend, signaling that it was alright.

His brother scoffed, pushing his dark black bangs away from his face.

"Did you need something?" The two Black brothers stood there staring at one another. They almost seemed like twin in appearance but it was clear that the two were very much different. Sirius was lively and much more loose and rugged; his Gryffindor tie dangled around his neck, his slightly curly hair was scruffy and unkempt and his eyes were a sparkling grey. Regulus was different then that; he was properly dressed in his Slytherin attire right down to the tie around his collar and his hair was a little disheveled as well but side parted enough to make him look a lot cleaner cut then his older brother. And while Sirius's eyes were the wide gates to his soul, Regulus' grey eyes were guarded and stone cold, matching that haughty persona he seemed to carry.

"No." he uttered with his fist clenched before turning on his heel and hurriedly making his way to the trail that lead up to the castle.

Elise watched the boy leave, his shoulders squared and his form uptight.

"I'm sorry about my brother, Elise. My brother could just come across as rude at times" Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets of his trousers, walking off back to the tree.

She didn't know what to say to that or rather she was at a lost of words at what had just happened. She'd glanced and met that boy's strange gaze before he left, and that had left her confused, a little anxious, nervous and above all somewhat embarrassed.

* * *

><p>"how was your vacation?"<p>

The light brunette was walking along with Elise through the snowy streets of Hogsmeade. It had been quite a long Christmas vacation and even though the vacation was over, the town was still hanging onto the effects of the last blizzard that had buried the town only a few days ago.

Elise's eyes narrowed. She knew exactly what Remus was trying to get at, she just wished he'd just ask directly of the whole Sirius situation rather then subtly walk into it. "You know just as well as I do how my Christmas vacation went"

The boy laughed lightly "So your mother and father didn't take it well when they found Sirius hiding in James' room all that time?"

"It wasn't that they didn't take it well …" She clearly remembered how her parents had reacted; they were disappointed yet accepting -Disappointed with James for not simply letting them know that Sirius had ran away and decided to live in their house, but accepting in that they had an idea of the tensions of a Slytherin family trying to accept their Gryffindor son. "… It was Sirius' mother who didn't take the news well…" she was in a rage. Of course, Sirius wasn't there to witness it, but he'd received a very animated letter from his mother explaining how he was no longer a 'Black'.

Remus nodded because he understood that complexity and that was what made Elise curious, for she didn't have the slightest idea of what went on at the Black household.

The girl looked up at the boy, a little embarrassed to ask "hey…" her voice was softer now "…does Sirius like his brother?" she knew the question was out of place even if they were talking of the Black family before, but she knew Remus would never judge her for her questions. He tried to answer any of her questions being the older of the two, but this time he didn't know what to tell Elise because for such a question, one didn't need to be wise just …understanding.  
>"Eli? Do you like your brother?"<p>

The tension dropped between the two and she sighed with a slight laugh at what he was trying to make her realize "Remus…"

They had walked past so much farther than the bustle of the town and slowly descended down a hill towards the woods, closer to the Shrieking Shack. "The same love you have for your brother, Sirius carries for Regulus" she hadn't expecting him to say his name and so it was all so innerving to her. "…the two just show that love a little differently"

"…a little?"

"He's just disappointed with his younger brother"

Elise jumped up and over the snow covered log Remus had already made his way over. "With what? I thought it'd be the other way around because Sirius was placed in Gryffindor…." Her voice started to trail when she noticed the boy slowly stop in front of her and gaze at the scenery ahead.

The two had made it out of the forest and to the wire fence of the Shrieking Shack, watching that lonely and dark house resting in the middle of the eerily untouched snow covered hill. Even though the rumors of this place were placed in order to protect Remus, the house still frightened Elise every time she saw it.

"Regulus has a bigger heart then he thinks and for that Sirius is disappointed in him…." The boy then turned to look down at Elise who was listening carefully "…Sirius sees himself in him and so he expected Regulus to follow him, but it would seem Regulus has chosen not to…."

"Did he choose not to? Or was he forced?" her question wasn't meant to be answered and so it wasn't by Remus. In return, he'd simply sighed a faint breath

Eli lightly sighed along with him, trying to smile "Come on" she gestured back towards the direction of the Whomping Willow "we'd better return, you have a long night ahead of you"


	2. Year III Part II

_The Chapter's longer the other two , but I actually this one a lot. Please fav. and review!... Please?...With sugar on top? ... I like feedback but as of now I've received nada so I'm not sure which direction to take it... _

_but yeah, anyway, enjoy reading :)_

* * *

><p>3rd Year Part 2<p>

Elise had saved her dreaded Arithmancy essay for last. Out of the pile of homework and assignments she'd received for the weekend, the cursed essay would be the death of her; she'd attempted to start the essay various different ways, but every time she'd scratch an introduction onto her parchment paper and read it to herself, nothing seemed right. There were just too many ideas and not enough concentration left within Elise to actually execute a well and seamless Arithmancy essay describing how the certain set of values she'd received could foretell anything.

She'd made a mistake in leaving the assignment for last…

The girl set her feather quill to the side and caped the ink bottle, all the while narrowing her eyes to read the clock. It was late, later than usual and most of the students had already left to their common rooms but only a handful were either continuing their studies or just gathering their books to leave-mostly fifth, sixth and seventh years because of the upcoming O.W.L and N.E.W.T examinations. Although library hours were extended to exceed the curfew by an hour only for those three years, Elise had managed to persuade Professor Flitwick, shifted to supervise students at this hour, to let her stay.

Defeated, Elise grabbed her belonging and headed towards the main entrance of the library. "Goodnight Professor" she managed to whisper but her voice seemed louder in the nearly quiet room that it made other students peer up and harshly watch her.

The short man nodded with a small smile "Goodnight"

Elise blocked out the stares as she left; it was weird enough that she happened to be the only third year among all the upperclassmen.

She proceeded into the dimly lit halls, turning a right and slowly digressing from the brighter lights leaking from the open library. Ten more steps and her path was only lit by the full moon coming in from the high windows.

Her pace was quick maybe because of the fact that the halls seemed much more frightening without the bustle of students, but mostly because of the constant paranoia of being watched… or worse followed.

_Meow _

She jumped at the noise turning around searching for the cause of the sound. When she didn't see anything and started to turn back towards her original path, she was surprised by the cat by her foot, purring….it was Filch's cat.

"Shoo" she waved at the cat to move away from her but it started to meow louder and even follow Elise when she'd take a few steps forward "I said shoo!"

"Who's there?"

Someone had turned around the corner behind her, but it certainly wasn't Filch. The voice was much smoother, silkier and sinister.

The cat immediately ran away with a loud purr, it had its job in detecting a student breaking curfew.

"I-I was at the library? I was given permission by Professor Flit-"

Elise tucked her bangs nervously behind her ear trying to make out the being walking towards her. She was horrified when the man had stepped into the very dim lights: it was Lucius… it wasn't that she'd been found by a prefect, but a Slytherin prefect such as Lucius that frightened her… they had a habit on picking on other houses' younger students….

Lucius was lean and quiet tall, towering over Elise, who was proud of her five foot five height. He wore a slightly amused expression as if he'd just caught the fish he'd been waiting for all day and flipped his long platinum blonde locks out of his face in triumph.

"-but I don't see a pass?" and she heard a girl's voice? She hadn't noticed before but slightly shorter girl had walked in to the scene from behind Lucius.

"But I haven't any…" Elise looked over and around the boy to stare directly at Bellatrix, who, also, was a Slytherin prefect. Her wild dark curly hair and disheveled outfit-tie loose, sweater lost and her inappropriately unbuttoning of the top of her shirt matched her disturbingly wild and malevolent personality.

"Then how do I know you aren't lying?" Lucius watched her closely, scrutinizing her face. He knew it embarrassed her, it was evident in the slight blush he saw creeping up on her cheeks, but he still chose to continue and enjoy the humiliation she was feeling. But then it hit harder then any brick- she was a Potter. His grey flickered to her house badge on her chest to verify that this was, in fact, that misfit Ravenclaw girl who hung around with that misfit Gryffindor brother and friends of hers.

Elise's eyebrows rose and she slowly turned to her side, hugging her books closer to her chest, suddenly wary of what this boy was thinking. "Hey!"

The blonde knocked out of his thoughts, meeting Elise's stern eyes.

"Potter" he spat her name almost as if it were a filthy word to his pureblood mouth, which it probably was. Lucius was fully aware of that rowdy James Potter kid; he hated him. Prancing around like he was the hero of Gryffindor-no of Hogwarts and now, Lucius was standing face to face with Potter's kid sister, who seemed equally annoying to him only because of her relation with him. But what irked him the most was that her-no her whole Potter family was a disgrace to the pureblood race- they were all traitors in the cause of creating a whole pureblood society; he knew this because of the deep seeded hatred his parents and her parents had for each other.

"A Potter?" Bellatrix laughed and mockingly sang at the same time, walking up to Elise to size her up. "You the one o's been playing around with Sirius, hav'ent ya?" when she'd inched closer to Elise's face, Bellatrix crossed her arms and stuck her head high with a frown.

Elise looked away, angry, at the comment; she wanted to retort with her own insult but she thought better of it.

When Bellatrix noticed this, she laughed once again with a full grin.

The laughed was pestering; every chortle sank into nerves- it was more than enough to push Elise off the edge.

Bellatrix then rested her hands on her hips, bending over to the girl's ear, that snarl and grin still plastered onto her lips "You enjoying yourself?" she flicked her ear.

In an instant, faster than Lucius could even comprehend, Elise pulled out her wand and sank the tip of it into the girl's cheek. Bellatrix, surprisingly, did the same-pointing hers to the Elise's neck; she was so used to others pulling out their wand to defend themselves against her that she'd grown to draw her wand twice as fast as her opponent.

The grin suddenly disappeared from her face and she glared at the Ravenclaw with fierce and violent eyes; Elise returned it with a strong and frustrated one.

"Why would it matter to you? Sirius no longer belongs to your family!"

Bellatrix's anger poured from pores; if she could get any angrier she'd blow up into a ball of flames. "You filthy little blood traitor!" her voice was heavy and bellowed-each word much darker and louder then the one before.

There was a moment Elise saw in that girl's dark brown eyes that the Slytherin was about to spit out a spell, but then a voice so cool and low had deadpanned the whole scene- draining that sheer hatred that Elise saw in Bellatrix's eyes.

"Bella... Lucius?"

Their heads snapped at boy who'd just intruded. Regulus had turned around the corner and abruptly halted when he spotted his cousin and distant friend.

"Dear Cousin…" Bella smiled, wicked, pulling away from Elise "Come to join me teach this blood-trai'or a lesson?" She jeered back at the Ravenclaw's direction. Elise hadn't dropped her wand; although Bellatrix had moved away, Elise still held a firm grip on her wand and pointed it straight at the Slytherin girl.

Regulus watched his cousin for a bit with solemn stare, sighing at her cousin's theatrics and then shifted his pupils just slightly to meet with Elise's.

"I heard Filch not too far from here… and McGonagall's been patrolling this hall as well, we'd better scatter" he spoke not towards Elise but towards the two Slytherins, although still meaning to address all three of them.

Bella's wand dropped, "Boo…"

Lucius grabbed her by the shoulder roughly " come on" she rolled her eyes and started to follow the blonde but before she could she peered back at Elise and oddly winked at her "See you around filthy _traitor_" and with a final menacing laugh she disappeared with Lucius.

Elise was dumbfounded; she wasn't able to understand what had just occurred. In her right mind, she was about to hex that witch and now she was gone: frustration was boiling her blood.

Regulus looked up at her, from her feet to face with a small and narrow grin tugging one side of his deep pink lips; Elise was sure is she hadn't been staring at him, she would have never detected it. "You should scurry home to your common room," and with that he turned back around the corner he came from.

"No wait!" she called back but he wasn't about to turn around and so she followed after him, almost reluctantly and yet so willingly. When she curved around the corner she found him already a few feet down the dark corridor.

_Lumos!_ She flicked her wand and the tip illuminated.

The dark haired girl jogged a bit and tried falling into sync with the boy's step "Hey! I'm trying to talk to you"

"Why are you following me?" he whispered harshly taking a turn into another corridor he wasn't meant to take but simply took to distract the girl; although he had a feeling this girl wasn't taking the slightest of notice of where they were walking.

Elise was taken aback from the harsh tone, it was a bit to familiar from the first time she'd bumped into him. Speaking of, she wondered if he even remembered her from that day. "Well I wanted to say thanks"

Regulus made a face even though he was distracted with the path they were taking. "For?"

"Letting those two slide past" she was trying to word it write so it didn't slip up that she hated the two, after all they were Regulus' close family and friend, she could only imagine how he'd react insulted them even the slightest bit.

"Hardly" he spoke, still not giving her the full attention "…I was simply informing you idiots of the attention you three were gaining"

"Still…"

"Do you know what time it is? Put that light out!" the two suddenly stopped and noticed one of the portraits of a very plump woman scolding Elise "Honestly!"

"Sorry" the girl mouthed.

"You'd think you'd receive better from a Ravenclaw! Hmph!"

But Regulus hadn't stopped for that reason; he'd heard a door close and lock with a great clunk in the distance: someone was coming.

Elise lowered her wand away from the lady on the portrait a bit embarrassed; she was about to put out the light when Regulus immediately turned to the girl, gripped her wrist.

"Quickly!" he roughly spoke and she frighteningly obeyed, immediately, while the two dove into the classroom on the right of them.

In the end, the classroom was a bit to dangerous- the movement would make too much noise, so the two ducked into the hallowed out section between two columns.

"Wh-" Elise's eyes were shut from the danger of being discovered. It was worse that they were hiding; It would only make whoever who'd find them more suspicious.

"Shhh!" Regulus pressed her into the corner, coving her mouth. He looked over his shoulder waiting and watching for the being he suspected.

Elise finally opened her eyes to follow his gaze out into the hallway. In all the anticipation to figure out who was about to pass the two, the boy slid away his hand from the girl's mouth. Eventually a man had passed them- no a sixth year Slytherin boy had.

"Rosier?" Regulus muttered a little surprised to himself.

The dark brunette, Evan Rosier, quickly darted past the two, unable to detect them because even he was paranoid of who might catch him.

"Do all Slytherins break curfew and mysteriously stroll around the school at night?"

Her whisper had suddenly broken Regulus' thoughts and he quickly snapped his head back towards Elise. And it was then when the two realized how uncomfortably close they were to each other. At first it was hidden from the fear of being discovered but now when they faced each other a little too close, everything seemed incredibly awkward.

He'd grown taller in Elise's eyes- much taller then when she'd first encountered him in their first year. Regulus was almost a head taller now, almost the same height of his very tall brother Sirius.

Regulus felt oddly embarrassed to have pressed her to the wall so much and quickly started to turn a deep shade of pink when he saw the Elise gaze up at him with those innocent and blue eyes; but right then he shook those thoughts away and lurched back quickly, fixing the sleeves of his shirt-rolling them again up to his elbows.

He tried to calm himself "it would appear so…"

Elise took a heavy breath as she felt his pressure against her release. She was sure she was blushing, but she too tried to stay clam down and return to the conversation. "And the reason for that is?

Was she trying to ask why he was breaking curfew?

Regulus combed his black hair back and stepped into the hall "I was returning from a detention with a professor"

He was lying and she knew it; or else where were his books? His robes even? Regulus was casually clad with only his button down shirt, trousers and shoes; he seemed liked he'd taken a long trip to his dorm before that 'detention' … which isn't permitted, detentions are served right after the dinner on Sundays and as punishment you need to be prepared with your books….

"….You?" he didn't give her a chance to even accuse him and they both knew that when she saw the smirk he threw when he questioned her.

Elise stepped out into the hall too and then started to walk with Regulus towards the stair cases after he flickered on some light from his wand "I was returning from the library"

"This late?" he could be skeptical of her but she couldn't of him?

"I was studying! Professor Flitwick let me!"

"Of course"

She didn't know if she was hinting out to the fact that she was only allowed because Flitwick was her house's teacher or how much of a typical Ravenclaw she for being so studious.

"…So Rosier… isn't he your friend? Why were you hiding from him?"

Regulus was a bit caught off guard and offended that it made him immediately turn around to face Elise with a quite annoyed expression. "Just because he's a Slytherin you assume he's my friend?"

She didn't know how to answer- so that was probably a hit harsh.

"…He isn't a friend of mine, acquaintances- yes, but no friend of mine. Besides…." His temper was simmering as rapidly as it had started to boil "he would have tore you apart if he'd seen you"

Elise made a face "just like that cousin of yours?" poking him with a narrow frown.

"Exactly…. You should steer clear of them, Ravendor" the two had finally made it to the stairwell and halted at a platform because they knew they were going to depart from there, in separate directions.

"You might be a Ravenclaw but you might as well be a Gryffindor like your brother and friends when they see you"

She walked into the direction of the stairs leading a few floors up, still listening to him.

"I mean it, I won't be there the next time Bellatrix points a wand towards you…" Regulus stepped down towards the other stairwell leading down a few floors.

"…you should be careful around her" he warned, not trying to look up towards her flight of stairs but he did anyway and when he did, she too happened to look down towards him with that same small grin.

"Funny…." She spoke slowly as if savoring every word before speaking them "That's what my friends told me about you"


	3. Year III Part III

3rd year Part 3

"How did the OWLs go?"

Elise had a habit of joining her brother at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. It really didn't matter anyway, on Monday mornings, students were too tired and lazy to actually wake up to dine at the Great Hall let alone make an issue with another house student sitting at another house's table.

Sirius poked at the yoke of his fried egg with his toast "Please…" he sighed "I'm still not ready to talk about it"

James nodded with a slight grin of agreement, his mouth full of cereal.

Lupin and Pettigrew were absent from the table; Remus had scurried off to his first class of the day, early, to help a professor and Pettigrew-they all assumed was still sleeping cozy in his bed.

It was early, way too early, and on a dreary day like today, no one even tried to wake up. It might be summer, but after such a hot week, nature was making up with a continuous downpour for the past fours days. The sky still seemed dark and grey as if was still time for bed. An so there were only a handful of Gryffindors, a scattered few Ravenclaws, a few to none Hufflepuff and a little over a dozen Slytherins at the hall.

"Maybe the two of you should have studied harder" Eli taunted as it was a joke but she really did feel the boys didn't prepare as much as they should have, especially Sirius.

James made a face and took the rim of his bowl to his mouth and spoke before he drunk down the milk "any harder and my noggin would have exploded"

"Well it's done now and whatever happens, happens" Sirius shrugged a little too casually "Now I'm just ready to blow off the rest of the school year"

"No you are not. You still have to prove to you're professor that you'll deserve the N.E.W.T classes you'll receive next year"

Sirius rolled his eyes to Elise and then immediately turned to stare him in the face to gain him on his side, but for once the boy didn't acknowledge Sirius's idea. He was rebellious but not that rebellious to throw away all his marks that he'd worked for this year, even if it wasn't his best.

Sirius's face started to sadden and before he could really find any words to say to James the three were interrupted. Actually, Sirius had noticed the suddenly uninterested look James had for him and now found look of amusement and wicked curiosity growing for someone else?

The rambunctious boy, confused, followed his best friend's gaze to this averagely tall girl with long strands of copper red hair. He smirked.

Elise turned around suddenly feeling that awkward presence of a body behind her, it put her on edge; but when she'd seen the look on her brother's face she immediately knew who it was. She sighed at his actions and finally met with the girl's sharp green eyes; even through the girl had completely ignored Elise and stared sternly at James.

"Evans..." her brother threw his hair back with an absent minded flip."…Can I do something for you" his grin was so haughty and condescending that it made Lily sick.

Sirius made a face, his eyebrows raising as he looked away from Lily and looked at Elise as if to find that common ground to say that this scene wasn't going to turn out well and they should probably leave now while they could.

Lily had paid no attention to the Eli or Sirius; she simply watched James with a disgusted face "Yes. Apologize to my friend Severus!"

"That little snake deserved what he got!" he shot with such intensity he stood up, he was so loud it had caught unwanted attention.

Lily was both a little embarrassed and overwhelmed by the boy's sudden movement, but she nevertheless stood firm. "a-and how so!"

His fists tightened, he didn't know what to say. At the time hexing Snape seemed to so satisfying but now when he saw Lily's face so upset and frustrated, he really didn't know how to explain himself.

She wanted to shout at him, with so much hatred for making her feel al these different emotions, but this wasn't like her at all. She was the rational one; she'd have to make his guy pay for what he'd done to her best friend with words.

"He-"

"-Aren't you so proud James... the self proclaimed hero..." she hmphfed and glowered at him when, when she'd seen the sudden glint of shock in his eyes due to her words "...just stay away from him and ... me " the red head tried to stay as unsympathetic as she could. After all, even if she had befriended James, his cruelty in hexing Severus to deform his head in order to tantalize him could not be ignored.

She sneered at Sirius when she'd remembered the numerous other times she'd noticed Sirius, specifically, rallying up a crowd to publicly humiliate her best friend "you aren't any better!"

He was so caught off guard by her violent stare that he'd raised his eyebrows confused and pointed at himself to make sure it was him she was really talking to. But as soon as he'd realized she was, Lily turned on her heels after a final glare at the two boys and left. The students around the scene who had been openly watching had dispersed into their conversations pretending not to pay attention.

James was left standing watching the red head leave; he didn't find it in himself to stay in his hall surrounded with all these students who had just witnessed all of this, so he abruptly left without a goodbye to neither Sirius nor Eli- just hastily grabbing his books and walking out. In the meantime Sirius had broken out of his shocked façade and stared down anyone who had the guts of following his best friends gaze. "Damn people can't just mind their own business..." he violently shot a look at a fourth year Slytherin boy across the hall who had just snarled at James. The boy suddenly surprised and frightened of the look blinked twice before awkwardly looking down at his plate. "Poor, mate" he was speaking about James.

Elise shrugged with a sigh and whispered back "but you have to admit, torturing Lily's best friend to get her attention is kind of …arrogant and idiotic"

The fifth year blinked- taken aback by Eli's comment. He was a bit offended, almost hurt, because after all it was both Sirius and James' master plan to get James and Lily together this way. He refrained himself from telling Elise how James acted this way because of jealousy towards Snape.

"This is exactly why you aren't a Marauder" he jeered instead, knowing that Elise always wanted to be part of his, James, Remus and Peter's group. He remembered that day a few years ago when Elise had finally found about the secret group meeting they had together and how she'd begged to be a part of it. Even if they made her do all these ridiculous errands to possibly let her join, they'd never actually permitted her to join- always making up excuses such as "You're not old enough" or "this is only a boy's group"

She sighed; it was pitiful how Sirius still seemed to think it bothered her that she wasn't allowed to be a part of this little group. The charade had gone so long that she was finally that old enough to realize, besides the fact in helping Remus, exactly how stupid this group was "I'm sorry I don't make it my goal to make Snape my one and sole enemy…" she rolled her eyes taking a bite of her toast as she mocked and grinned at him.

Sirius narrowed his eyes "as I recall it, you were willing to do anything to become one of us"

"Yeah well that was before I figured out how immature this club of yours had become"

Sirius looked her incredulously. What had happened Elise? What had happened to that little Gryffindor pride she had? Was it finally burning out and cooling over into a overconfident shrewdness for being in Ravenclaw for so long?

He simmered himself before boiling over and rolled his eyes away from the girl; hunching and crossing his arms on the table.

Eli meant to speak sarcastically, but it would appear it came out a bit harsher and real then she had intended it to. While she really did find their actions juvenile she never meant to really show those feeling to them.

She flipped one side of her dark hair behind her shoulder and dropped her toast on her plate before taking a heavy breath to ease the sudden awkwardness. It hadn't worked and so she rose to her feet, grabbing her bundle of books as she did so. "My Defense against the Dark Arts final is about to start, I'd better get going" she waited, standing in front of Sirius. However, the curly haired boy was still looking away from her annoyed. "…aren't you going to wish me luck, Sirius?" she tilted her head and stooped over a little to meet his gaze and when he'd reluctantly meet his sharp grey eyes with her dark blue ones; Eli smiled a little apologetically as if to make sure everything was okay.

He grumbled before pushing his one stubborn curled cowlick away from his face "…good luck…"

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><p>"This is unethical…" queasy and so uneasy Holly Madison stood next to Elise, watching a Slytherin boy send a Gryffindor girl flying against the wall on the opposite side of the room.<p>

Holly was a petite blonde Elise had come to befriend. Their friendship just gradually grew out of the fact that they happened to have their bunks next to each other in the Ravenclaw girl's dorm. The nightly conversations before bed had simply made them close enough to call each other best friends.

"I'll say…." A boy stood on the other side of Elise watching a bit mesmerized at the duel between Gregory Baddock and Rosie Bell. The boy was Bradley Belby, another Ravenclaw student Eli had come to befriend. He was a dirty blonde, awkwardly lanky and tall boy but he still managed to pull off a calm and collective persona- he kind of came along with the Holly package.

Professor Randtop, a short and stern old man finally ended the duel with a flick of his wand to stop the stinging hex Gregory had just slipped out of his tongue. "That's enough" he nodded at the boy before looking over at Rosie who was still trying to get up from her fall when she hit and thudded off the wall.

"Did I pass?" the ginger Slytherin asked with a bemused smirk still eyeing the upset girl.

The professor had already begun to scribble into his clipboard and waved at the two leave the dueling stage. When he had done so, a few Gryffindors rushed to Rosie's side, trying to help her up and Gregory promptly jumped off the long stage joining his Slytherin friends, still wickedly grinning.

The 3rd year class had begun talking while waiting for the professor to choose the next two to duel. Everyone was on edge, chattering nervously about either how unfair it was seeing a Slytherin win, a boy bullying a girl like that or the professor's twisted decision in letting students duel instead of taking a straightforward written test as a final.

Elise watched a few students silently freaking out, probably wishing not to be summoned next onto the stage. A few were loud and openly nervous, like Holly. She was shaking in her shoes next to Eli, "Oh please don't let me be next… pleaseee" she prayed, closing her eyes.

Bradley sighed, nudging Holly "We all have to go today, so might as be next to get it over with, you know?"

The blonde suddenly opened her eyes and rolled them to the boy, "I'm just not ready yet"

"or are you scared that you might end up against a Slytherin like that Lesley girl" Elise chuckled with Bradley as they saw the reaction of putting the idea into Holly's head. She immediately turned to the thin and black haired snake of girl standing cross armed next to Samson Parkinson; she had a snarl plastered on her face that ruined her real beauty.

"Stop it! I am not!" The two chuckled, watching Holly squirm with nervousness and frustration.

"Ah-hem!" the chatter was suddenly broken by the professor's deep and loud call for attention. It was time for the next examination.

Holly led out a last squeak of anxiety as the students waited for Randletop to continue and finally announce the next pair of names.

"Knowing my luck, I just might end up dueling Lesley" Eli whispered low to Holly and Bradley. The blonde laughed slightly and eased at the thought and Bradley simply shook his head at Eli's grin.

"Elise Potter…" Randletop boomed looking down the list on his clipboard

She sighed and bumped Holly; throwing a wink to Bradley. "Knowing my luck…"

Other students wildly searched around for Elise just to get a glimpse of her reaction at the call of her name, but she'd already made her way to the stage; climbing up to one end of the stage and waiting for Lesley's name to be called.

"…and" the professor narrowed his eyes and pointed at something on his clipboard trying to read the other name he'd scheduled to duel Elise. "… Black…" he read "Regulus Black" he looked around trying to find the student.

Her confidence had suddenly vanished and it seemed quite clear to Holly and Bradley and most of the students the look of fretfulness on Elise's face. Her arms which were crossed before fell to her side, gripping her lightly Spaltled Maple wood wand tightly in her hand.

It would have been easy dueling Lesley, she was nothing in compassion to Regulus… after all Regulus was a Black- he was related to the black sisters, especially that seventh year, Bellatrix,... a-and Sirius… he had to be good- no, more than good, extraordinary…

The boy silently emerged from the sea of Slytherins and ascended up the steps to the other side of the stage, his dark ebony wand in his hand.

With his other hand Regulus combed his hair back studying Elise with a blank face. The look made her tremble in anxiousness, nervousness and fear; after that escapade a few months ago, they'd seemed to ignore each other completely and now they were forced to acknowledge each other once again.

After a reaction like that a small grin tugged on the side of his lips.

Her eyebrows rose at the smirk and she suddenly stood up tall and sifted her left side towards him. What was he trying to playing at?

"Wands at the ready!"

Slytherins bolstered Regulus' name with excitement, Hufflepuffs were watching horrified, Gryffindors a little concerned and amused and Ravenclaws silently confident in Elise.

The boy followed Elise suit, however turning his right side towards her and then the two were forced to bow at each other.

She glared at him with so many questions swirling in her head, but once she'd meet his grin with her own; she found her confidence again.

"Ready" Randletop waited for the girl and boy to raise their wands and when they did, he licked his lips and barked "Begin-"

"-_Experlliarmus!"_ The motion was second nature and quick; Eli enthusiastically pointed her wand at Regulus and he stumbled backwards, his wand flying to the floor.

Holly smiled jumping in excitement with a clap; a few Slytherins noticed, in particular Alecto Carrow and Lesley, and threw violent looks at the girl. But that didn't deter the kick a few Ravenclaw students got from watching one of their own succeed against a Slytherin.

Regulus was surprised; he didn't think Elise would be so abrupt and decisive….

He bent over to pick up his wand, still watching her as he did; he found it utterly funny and amusing when Elise cocked a grin waiting for Regulus for a move- how confident she was acting.

He then jerked his shoulders forward and resumed position; if she waiting for him then so be it. A wicked smile formed on his lips "_Affligo_" a ray of cobalt light shot from the tip of his wand

"_Fi_-" There was no time for a block and the spell struck her hard as if a cast iron pan had just beaten her chest and knocked the wind right out of her lungs. With a wheeze she coughed "_Everberus!_"and just as the spell before had hit Elise so hard, a magical fist had knocked Regulus, but it didn't seem to faze him as much as she'd intended it to. Astonishingly, he still only attained a scuff on the face and didn't even bother to acknowledge it.

The lack of any real damage frustrated Elise and with a complex circular motion she threw the spell that had caught the most attention "_Serpensorti_a!"

A sudden outcry came from the Slytherins; they hollered and cussed at the girl. But others found it funny, ironic and incredibly clever. Bradley had even made it a point to excitedly fist a 'yes'

The snake had spewed out of thin air and slithered languidly down the stage towards the black haired boy; occasionally hissing.

He flicked his wand in a quick motion, sourly "If I could, I wouldn't mind sending an eagle to attack, either..." the snake suddenly dispersing in air with a burst of green smoke.

She made a face at the way he mocked her.

"…._Stupefy!"_

"_Protego!_" she swung her wand shielding her from the stun and found herself particularly shocked and dismayed that he was going as far to stun her into unconsciousness. What was more irritating was the fact that Professor Randletop didn't mind it either.

The game was ending; with more spells being thrown around, the more competitive and angry they became towards each other. That playfulness was gone from the beginning and with the duel starting to drag due to the two's stubbornness in becoming victorious, frustration was the getting the best of the two.

She swiveled her wand "_Impedimenta_"

"_Finite Incantatem_" he blocked

"…_Vermillious!"_

_"Finite"_

"A-amitteo!" the spell had failed to do anything

"_Finite!_" and Regulus spoke anyway and took the chance with "_Astrupicus!_"

The professor rose with fear "…Regulus!"

A jet of loud crackling lightening whipped around the room causing students to scream in chaos and stoop away from the stage.

How the boy was about to control such spell was beyond Randletop "Regulus!" he shouted again.

But the spell had already stricken Elise, causing her jolt to the floor with excruciating pain. She had managed to lazily block herself with the same shielding charm as before but it was so weak that Regulus' spell still affected her.

"Regulus!" this time it was Elise who spoke- shouting with a sheer anger. She struggled to pick herself as she glared at Regulus, but it didn't matter to her if she got up or not, she simply didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having the last spell in the duel and so she waved her wand with so much force at him and opened her mouth to announce one last spell to finish the deal.

"_Crucio!_"

There was a gasp of so much fear and horror that the chaos from before died down into an eerie stillness or moment of overwhelming terror.

"Enough!"

It was a like hundreds sharp scotching hot blades impaling her entire body from the torso to even the eye. The sensation was mind splitting; she screamed, squirmed and raged in hatred all together.

But it was a mistake—a slip of the tongue!

As fast as it happened, as fast it had ended when he dropped his wand in alarm and fright. Backing away slowly and regrettably, Regulus had bumped into Professor Randletop who had hastily ran onto the stage.

A Hufflepuff girl was crying, shaking from the site of such disturbing inhumanity "You monster!"

No, he wasn't; it just came out of his mouth! He never meant it. He's just seen- no heard of it so many times…

"Silence!" the professor dashed around Regulus and to Elise.

The boy wildly looked around at the disgusted and horrified faces but then meet with her's. Elise was still trembling, trying to find strength and getting up. Her eyes were ablaze with so much panic and pure hatred.

"No. I-" he tried to explain and maybe even express regret but when he meet with Elise's eyes, it had suddenly ripped his heart and deeply saddened his being but the tried hard not show it. He didn't have the gall to continue and yet he did to shout out the curse.

Elise didn't know what to take of it, all she knew was that she felt an indescribably searing pain spreading her whole body, forcing her to sleep and welcome the eerie silence and darkness insidiously trying to envelope her. She didn't want to,instead she wanted to spit out a spell of her own, get even with vengeance but then those grey eyes stroke her hard; no longer as guarded and suddenly open with so horror and regret. It was enough to make her forget everything. Everyone around her panicked in fear and yet she heard nothing at all and blurred into unconsciousness.


	4. Year III Part IV

_Hopefully there aren't too many mistakes...I tend to still forget a few after I've read ac chapter a dozen times. But, yes, anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter. I really like reviews...you don't know how much they make me dance in my pants. lol x)  
><em>

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><p><em>3rd Year Part 4<em>

**It was the moon that caught her eye, the glint of something so shimmery and hopeful in this sea of black ink. It was a fascination strong enough for her to finally break her period of floating and swim up towards the moon.**

**Her hair, a shinny dark brown glistened underwater, floating around her head, and her skin, so pale, was the only thing that next the brightness of the moon in the water that was so prominent.**

**It never struck her how odd it was to see the white orb underwater just slightly above her, rather, she never thought twice about it and had a compelling sensation of reaching it- just touching it with the tips of her fingers.**

**And then she remembered she wasn't breathing…she needed air, oxygen to keep her living. Her eyes widened as quickly as her lips parted for a breath only to swallow a never ending amount of water.**

"Elise..."

The girl squirmed in the heap of blankets tangled around her body.

"…It's alright, I'm here"

She tossed herself up, frightened and exasperated, trying to breathe "…I-I…"

Where was she? What was happening?"

Elise felt a small and delicate hand rest on her back. Elise looked around and sideways to see her best friend, Holly. "A-are you alright?"

Everything felt unnerving… her body was shacking and she didn't know how to control it. "Holly!"

In a desperate cry of relief, she hugged the blonde, who was surprised by it but then acceptingly combed her friend's hair as a means of calming her down.

"….Where am I?"

"In the common room….Do you remember anything?"

Elise moved away from Holly, watching her strangely until she'd actually tried to remember. It was as if her heart was telling her not to remember but then her mind was trying hard to push the memories back into her head. And then it hit her just when her brain had started to materialize the setting of the common room-making everything so very real. The pain, the mental sore, and his face…those three things had undisputedly burned her memories.

"…Regulus…" she whispered, touching her lips in a faint shock, only loud enough for herself to hear.

The anger wasn't in her heart as much as she'd expected it would have been; instead there was an eerie sense of dread, fear and awe.

When Holly noticed Elise finally realize, she smiled a little meekly "You were out for a whole day..."

Elise looked around, watching the other girls, still, despite her spasm from before, sleeping peacefully in their bunks for the night. There were signs of a day's passing; most of the personal belongings of the girls' were messily stowed away in bags near their beds, indicating that the last day of school wasn't too far. Scarves were packed, extra uniforms already folded and only a few necessary items were left on their desk for rest of their last week in Hogwarts.

She then turned to her friend who was looking at her a little concerned. Holly was dressed in her night robes and her short golden hair was disheveled, suggesting she was the only one who'd woken up to come to Elise's aid.

"It's Wednesday?..."

Holly nodded. "….we'd taken you to the hospital wing after…" she was uncomfortable in bring up the incident "… you know… and you were unconscious for a good while until you woke up for a brief period…"

"A brief period?" Elise didn't remember any of it. What did she say? What did she do? "…what did I-"

"-I don't know… Bradley was with you then" she apologetically smiled at her but Elise didn't need her apology. She was here now, it didn't matter "…but he told me, everyone was afraid because you weren't responding to anything"

"So why am I here now?"

"Well Madame Pomfrey did a few tests" she waved an imaginary wand "… and you were fine, and so when you fell asleep it only affirmed you just needed some rest"

Eli's mind was churning things slowly; there were so many things she wanted to ask and yet so little questions were actually coming out of her mouth. She wanted to ask of if were brother knew, what did Randletop actually do and even what had happened to Regulus, but knowing Holly, she'd be the last one to actually tell her the real facts without any biased opinions. But what choice did she have; Eli felt horribly out of terms with everything she wanted to know exactly what had happened.

"Did James ever find out…" her voice trailed into silence as she studied Holly's face.

The girl shook a no' and went to explain herself, but before she could continue she lowered head and came in closer to Eli to make anyone who was probably pretending to sleep couldn't hear her next words. "…Randletop had a fit after your duel….he went on to emphasis strictly that these duels were only to disarm…"

Disarm only? Eli was in disbelief; all this time it was the Professor himself who was encouraging and pushing the students to realize that it isn't a time to hesitate. The dark Lord's at his height, if one of his many followers that walk among you happen to ever raise a wand, you should do more than just _disarm_.

"…he continued the final duels, but spoke strictly never to speak of your duel ever again…." She huffed "… but what was even more shocking was how he didn't expel Regulus on the spot! He only sent him to the detention hall only to think of a punishment later!"

Elise wasn't surprised at all of what she was telling her. It's was Randletop's idea of the duels and so why wouldn't he keep quiet of this incident. If he didn't, he losing the job would be a sure deal. The issue with Regulus was no different; expelling a boy without any real reason would definitely raise a red flag for Dumbledore.

"And for me?" surely Eli thought she was probably going to be punished. Both Regulus and she were at fault…

Holly crossed her arms finally moving back to sit up straight "You've suffered enough, he doesn't have the gall to punish you."

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><p><em>Why is the ingredient Humweed used with ingredient Surgunwood in an Accelerator potion?<em>

_A) __To quicken the breakdown of the wood_

_B) __To turn…_

She scratched her head for the answer trying to tear her attention away from the raucous from the hall outside. The dungeon's door might be closed, but she heard the echoing voices of students hurrying to finish all their last minute packing and goodbyes.

Yeah, definitely visit me over the summer…

-Noo! She's going to a muggle camp for summer? …How ….so very-

-Will you write every-

-Did you pass Flitwick's final?-

Yeah I-

Ten minutes!

"Miss Potter!" Eli tapped out of the conversations outside and quickly looked up at the Potions Professor, Slughorn "… Ten more Minutes" he nodded slowly at her to make sure she understood and then glazed at the door as if to indicated to her not to be distracted so easily.

But how could she think straight with all the noise? Everyone was already leaving, taking in their last moments of Hogwarts and here Elise was, stuck, on the last day of school, in Potions class making up her final. If wasn't for getting knocked unconscious or for Regulus, even, she wouldn't be here-no, instead she'd be basking in the courtyard with her friends making sure to they were still going to contact her over the summer.

She sighed, angry, looking down at her test paper, scratching the tip of quill against the blank margins of the paper.

...Humweed? ... But that was never in her review papers. Or maybe it was….-no, she was mixing the name with Gilliweed….maybe?

She'd already gone through the test once and answered as many questions as she could, and now she was on the second run to finish and reread the ones she'd missed deliberately from before. This question was the last of them all, but she still had no idea of the answer even when reading the question a dozen times. In the end, she guessed, specifically, D. It was only one question among fifty five, it wouldn't cost her _that_ much….

"Alright…" she sighed once again, a little defeated this time. It was a little out of character for her guess- she didn't even put any effort in the answer. "Here you are" she pushed herself off the wooden seat and flipped her exam over to the Professor.

"With six minutes to spare…" he grinned, taking the exam and spare quill and ink bottle from the girl.

Eli didn't have time for all this, James and Sirius were probably, already, heading towards the station and she hadn't even, properly, said goodbye to Bradley and Holly.

"I'll be sending your grades in the mail, then" he perused over the papers.

The girl nodded a faint smile with a quick 'thank you and goodbye' before dashing out of the classroom. She'd walked into a hectic hallway with students left and right walking and talking in their casual attire, carrying their trunks, bags and animal cages. Looking both ways before actually stepping out into the hallway, Eli headed swiftly towards the Ravenclaw tower.

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><p>It wasn't as crowded as it was this morning, when people were flicking away their bags to the station with one wave of the wand. Right now, there were only a few students who were hopelessly searching of things they'd left and lost in the common room since December.<p>

A small girl struggled down from the staircase that led to the girl's dormitories. "Eli! Hey!" Holly tugged her heavy bag with one last burst of strength, forcing the case to slide down the last few stops-almost kicking her legs. "I got you bag for you" she nodded at canvas satchel falling from her shoulder. "I was going to meet you at the classroom but I guess you're here now…" her voice was trailing for she was much more preoccupied with making sure she'd brought down every one of her own luggage.

Elise smiled a' thanks' before taking the bag and slinging it across her body. "Why didn't you send your larger trucks to the station this morning?"

Holly flipped her blonde bangs away from her face and finally looked up at her friend with a funny face "…I forgot…" she nervously giggled before pulling out her wand and quickly waving at the truck, making it disappear. She was left standing with only her small backpack.

"And I got Calcifer for you" Bradley walked in from to door of the common room just stopping in front the Rowena's statue, holding up a bird cage with the Elise's long eared owl. He stood with his own backpack packed on his back and his frog, Myrta, caged in his other hand. "But I don't think he's too fond of Myrta" he laughed following the bird's dark gaze towards the ribitting frog, occasionally screeching.

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><p>"You two better write to me this summer" the three walked down towards Hogsmeade with the pool of students also heading out to the station. Holly excitedly sauntered down the dirt road with a hopeful smile towards Eli and Bradley. A few other third year Ravenclaws walked along side the two; Patricia Rogerson, a lanky tall redhead, Alvernia Jones, or Al for short, was Bradley's right hand man, a friendly fellow with too many stories, and the Frampton Twins, Charlie and Gregory, two unlikely brothers who were complete opposites, Greg was a little too rambunctious and Charlie was a little too bashful.<p>

"I'm sure Bradley, here, won't miss a month" Greg cracked and Holly immediately blushed at the comment- Bradley following with a nervous chuckle, looking away with his hands in his pockets.

"Greg, honestly" Charlie was embarrassed for the two and for his brother's remark, thumping his brother in his arm.

Al threw an arm around his best friend with a wide smirk "Make that daily"

Eli and Patricia giggled at their reaction; Elise quickening her pace to fall into step with Holly who was trying to suppress her blush, even still. "I can't promise daily..." she looked back at Bradley who was still looking away as he walked, trying to be as casual even though they were all well aware of his nerves "but will monthly, count?"

Her face slowly relaxed and now she was genuinely smiling at her best friend; Holly parted her lips to speak but then they were all suddenly interrupted.

"Miss Potter...Miss Potter!" Her voice could be heard over the students' voices, but it became even clearer as curious students quieted to hear.

All the way down the unpaved road from Hogsmeade came Professor McGonagall, her robes ruffling rapidly behind her as she scurried to Elise and her group. There was a stern and yet distressful expression on her face. When her eyes had lain upon the girl, she'd stopped hollering her name and quickly made her way through the students.

Elise was stunned a bit and stopped in her trial, in fact, most for the student did, just to watch what was going on.

"Y-yes Professor?"

Was she getting busted for the duel, maybe McGonagall had found out and was about to expel and forbid her from returning to Hogwarts…

When she finally stood face to face with the Potter, her eyes fell soft and she sighed faintly.

So she wasn't in trouble?

"You need to come with me, quickly, please say goodbye to your friends..." she spoke concise and clear and yet Elise didn't understand.

"Am I not going on the train-"

"I'm afraid not, my dear…please quickly"

The girl looked back at her concerned friends who smiled reassuringly to her. "Go on…" Bradley finally spoke.

"…Remember, we'll write soon" Holly smiled once again but this time with a little sad expression on her face.

She nodded, looking down at her feet before looking up to meet all their gazes. Leaving her friends felt odd and so frightening…. Was she about to embark on something where she wouldn't see them again?

"My dear, please hurry" McGonagall outreached her arm to help and direct her to where to go.

"Professor, what is it? Where are we going?" Eli briskly walked, following the woman and ignoring the innocent looks and stares she received from those who she was passing and struggling to weave through.

The professor didn't speak a word; her pained expression in getting the girl to the Inn was the only thing Elise received. It wasn't until they had beaten the crowd of students and quickly ducked into the Three Broomsticks Inn did the professor finally acknowledge Elise's question.

"I'm afraid there has been an incident…" she spoke softly while they walked through the door into a somewhat crowded inn. The rush wasn't as alive as it was during her trips to Hogsmeade with her friends; today only adults occupied the small tavern.

"…What kind of incident..."

The young blonde barmaid, Ms. Rosmerta, stepped out from the behind the bar, quickly handing the drink to a customer before hastily walking up to the McGonagall and Elise.

"Have you gotten any news of others? Did Dumbledore….-"

Dumbledore?

The woman nodded a no, stopping the teacher before she could continue, and then the professor took a sigh of relief, holding her chest. "Thank heavens….we already have enough, I don't think the stu-"

She didn't like what she was hearing. What was happening, why were they so concerned? "…Professor…" Eli finally, stopped the two and dreadfully and curiously called for attention. What was going on?

Rosmerta finally looked over to Elise, a sad and pitiful look on her face; the Professor also looked sideways towards her student. She didn't feel comfortable telling her, she didn't feel comfortable telling any of the other students either.

Once again, Elise received no response; instead, McGonagall insisted she follow her up to one of the private rooms. She obeyed…reluctantly….

The professor knocked, once and then twice, before slowly opening the door.

There stood, professor Slughorn, Flitwick and Sport, the house heads, worried next to Headmaster Dumbledore and Mr. Crouch, the head of the Magical Law Enforcement?

At once, they all looked up at her and McGonagall, but Elise didn't realize the severity of the situation until her eyes had laid upon James and Sirius sitting still and somber next to a few other students; two crying Gryffindor sisters, a quiet Hufflepuff boy in the corner, three lone Ravenclaws and only one Slytherin boy… Regulus…

But he could be the least of her problems at the moment.

"Eli…" James let out a sigh of relief but the sense of grief was still concentrated in the air. He stood and up and walked up to her and held her quickly into a tight hug. Elise was stricken with fear. She stared at her brother's chest, stunned and surprised but frightful.

"I must take my leave…." Mr. Crouch left, he wasn't able to handle any much of this, and so he quickly left with an apologetic gesture towards Dumbledore.

"J-James…?"

"Eli…" Sirius had slowly walked up but stopped himself a step short from the two.

"…Dad…" he let out a heavy breath and she didn't know why tears were suddenly starting to weal in her eyes. "…he's dead…" his sweater caught all of her tears. She never knew when to stop; crying was the only thing her body knew how to respond to the horrible news. While she didn't believe any of it, she managed to cry even harder into her brother's shirt.


	5. Summer Interlude

_Alrighty, chapter five! And now the real love story gets rolling from here on out. =) Please review and enjoy!_

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><p>There had been another attack from the Dark Lord's own.-An upfront breech into the ministry of magic. No one expected such an event; he was strong, but not audacious enough to charge into the ministry until now. From what's heard, aurors and a few brave wizards stood up against the death eaters but it was futile. While a few of his followers were either dead or now on their way to Azkaban, the Dark Lord had apparently succeeded in what he had come to do. Whatever it was he came for, the ministry keeps a secret, but the event, nonetheless, presents itself as a new mark of how powerful he's truly become.<p>

One brave auror lost his life, his family. A woman lost her two daughters; a brother lost his younger brother, a few parents lost their own children and a wicked woman, nonetheless a mother, lost her two sons.

She sat on the steps of her home in Godric's Hollow, watching the few neighborhood kids being called inside for dinner. The sun had already dipped into the horizon and the magical lamp post at the gate had automatically lit itself.

It was odd; there was an eerie stillness and quietness about the Potters' home. Summers were always filled with such happy family trips and elaborate dinners for they were finally all home under the same roof for once, but that all seemed to go away. Though Elise's mother tried her best to keep it as normal, she was denying herself and her family of the serious loss.

"He's not home yet?" a dirty and worn out James came up to the gate with his quidditch broomstick in hand. His clothes were scuffed with dirt and grass stains and his pale white skin was smeared with mud. Though he had seriously refused to enjoy any games with the neighborhood wizard boys for a while, Mrs. Potter insisted her son to go, once again, trying to insist everything was alright when it really wasn't.

Elise nodded with a slight sigh.

"He, too, has lost someone, dear. Sirius may not come back for the night; he has many things to sort…"

The boy pushed in his glasses closer into the bridge of his nose looking up and beyond her sister to meet his mother.

Mrs. Potter, had walked up to doorframe of the main door, leaning against it. She wiped her hands on her apron and matted her already graying hair. Mrs. Potter was a thin and slender woman, her face already cast with fine wrinkles due to, not only her age, but the stress of her job as a magical creatures' controller and regulator at the ministry.

Elise looked back at her mother with a small and narrow smile; she noticed the small scrapes and cuts on her face and arms. The girl was thankful of her mother surviving the attack.

"I know…"

With the loss of his own mother and only parent, Sirius had gone for the day for the funeral. Madame Black was never a death eater, only a supporter who strongly believed in the dark lord's beliefs but even so, when she'd made the mistake in taking a trip down to the ministry that day to settle the issues with her home, no one thought twice before mistaking her for a death eater.

James finally opened the gate and walked into the yard stopping in front of Elise with a small reassuring smile "If I know him well enough, he's fine …"

Mrs. Potter gestured to her son to come inside, which he did after receiving a small grin in return from his sister, but spoke to her daughter "I'll leave dinner on the table. If you ever decide to…" her soft voice trailed once she saw Eli genuinely smiled at her but with tears just brimming behind her lids.

"…I will, don't worry" with a blink she stopped the tears from escaping and gulped down the knot in her throat. "…Thank you"

It was all hard, all these changes were terrifying. Although everyone said her father didn't die in vain, he fought for a cause and that everything would be alright, nothing seemed to be alright at all. She felt horribly overwhelmed with emotions- emotions from a lost father she never had a chance to see for a last time or say goodbye, from worrying for a friend and, in some circumstances, a brother who was also trying to cope with a family that hated him, and then there came emotions from that duel. Although it was overshadowed with these new events, everything that happened with that boy still silently gnawed at her mind and sanity.

Eli's expression touched her mother and she wanted to hold and embrace her child, but she thought better of it when the girl turned her back towards her and continued to stare out into the town. Mrs. Potter understood far better than anyone else Elise just needed to be left alone.

Minutes had turned into hours, taking the day into nighttime. Sirius never appeared until those children she had been watching for so long were tucked in their beds and sleeping soundly.

He appeared out of thin air in front of the gate, his face tense and stern as he quickly started to pull at his tie to loosen and take it off. The boy raked his curly hair, unaware of the girl until Elise finally called out to him.

"Sirius..."

The shabby boy was surprised and met her gaze with a startled and wary one. Since the news of his mother's death his once handsome face had suddenly started to grow a sense of dullness. That animated expression of joy was almost completely lost "You're still awake?"

The dark haired girl stood from her place, waiting for Sirius to reach him, when he did, they both sat down together. "How did it go?" she could only imagine how that ceremony had gone.

He stood among of a cloud of grey, black and green. So he was next in line to handle the family affairs and yet so scornfully did his family members watch and study him, even his brother completely ignored him. For him the funeral was bittersweet; at least his mother wouldn't be shoving her Slytherin ways down his throat, but it was still hard to deny that his mother was dead. No other family member even approved of his existence and even until the end, his mother never accepted him for who he was.

He sighed while Eli finally slid off the tie from his neck for him "…I went to pay my respect…that's all" he whispered

"You aren't leaving us are you?" she looked over at Sirius who kept a fixed and distant stare at the night sky.

He spoke almost absentmindedly, "My mother gave everything to Regulus and then me…"

She suddenly felt wrong for bringing up the thought. With a heavy sigh Eli rested her head on his shoulder "I'm sorry"

He shook it away with a faint smile but didn't know how to verbally tell Elise how he didn't care anymore. Yes, al of this was difficult to process and ultimately depressing, but he'd already, long ago found another family with the Potters.

* * *

><p>She found herself horribly stricken and fearful to step inside the house.<p>

Sirius beckoned her with a reassuring smile "We'll be quick; I just need take some of my things… " in all the rush of running away from home, he'd never been able to take everything from his room. He'd put a charm in his room where his mother could never change and rearrange his things while he was away and so his room still was, in fact, just as he'd left those many months ago.

Now that his mother was gone he no longer felt a much fear in stepping into his house. But, indeed, Elise did. The girl was terrified of Regulus and if she were to run into him. She was practically walking into hell to meet the devil when she was bound for heaven.

"b-but what about you're brother..."

He thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. Sirius' relationship with his brother, clearly, was complicated. They were both misunderstood by each other and yet neither hated each other, only resented each other….if that could ever make any sense.

The place was quiet other than the random clanks and bangs of pots and pans and groans of a crabby house elf, Kreacher, cooking food that came from the kitchen beyond the narrow hallway. The two carefully, opened and shut the door behind them, walking up the dark washed wooden staircase. Sirius strode ahead of her- she fell out of step with the boy, captivated and interested in the photos on the walls. None of them carried any pictures of Sirius, expect for one of when he was only a child, but the others were nearly all of Regulus.

Elise cringed suddenly remembering and doubting the idea of coming here. If she were to find that Slytherin boy, what would she say, what would he do?

"Come on"

Elise sighed, tucking her bangs behind her ears before swiftly treading up to the second floor. Once there, she was immediately greeted with Sirius' bedroom door.

"Hey…" she grabbed the door before it hit her in the face and looked around to notice the shut door next to Sirius' room …R.A.B… she read it carefully but then thought better of it . "…watch it!"

The boy chuckled at her reaction and grabbed her arm to pull her inside the room and shut the door.

The room was nearly painted in Gryffindor colors; from numerous house flags, crests and even scarves tacked on the wall, the room could essentially be mistaken as Godric's Gryffindor's own room… She was mesmerized and astounded; even Eli had an overwhelming pride for her house, but her room wasn't doused in bronze eagles and copious amounts of Ravenclaw merchandise.

Nonetheless, it was a dingy and old room of a Black boy; his family's opulence was evident in the slightest ways-the grand and heavy curtains, his own fireplace, and large dark wooden bed with an intricate tapestry as a headboard.

Elise almost fell over a fallen bike near the door before she caught herself.

"Sorry…" Sirius quickly marched over from what he was gathering and set the black and beige bike aside.

"So this is you room…"

He shrugged, briskly walking back to his closet, shoving the clothes he'd left behind in the knapsack he'd brought along with him.

Eli sat on the bed, inspecting the clean floor and dusted headboard "your mother kept it clean while you were gone…"

Sirius hesitated in picking up the next few shirts. He too had noticed how much nicer and cleaner everything looked but had shrugged it off thinking Kreacher had done all of this… but even still, it was probably under her orders... He huffed with a small grin, she couldn't move anything and so she cleaned over it.

A quick subject change was in order "…hey, are you hungry?" Sirius packed the last of his things, cleaning out most of his drawers.

"I suppose…?"

"I can get Kreacher to make us something while…"

Elise was skeptically, looking up at him, worried. She was never fond of that house elf, it always frightened her with its rude manners. She could never trust such a thing handling her food, for all she knew, he could poison it.

"…Have you had a house elf before?" his eyebrows rose just as a smirk grew on his lips. It was as if he'd read her mind. "…unpleasant creatures, sure, but terribly loyal and subservient"

She sighed, defeated "fine…, alright"

He smiled, tossing his bag on the bed. "so in the mean time can you just…" the boy waved an imaginary wand for he was at a loss of words as he gestured towards his bag and broomstick leaning against the corner of the room. "..You know…"

"Yeah, yeah…" the girl waved him away with an equal grin, before sliding out her wand from her back pocket, turning her back towards him as she left the room.

In a matter of seconds she waved away the two items.

It was all weird and indescribable standing inside this house. Elise never would have thought she'd see the likes of this place every again, but she was horrible mistaken. She never wanted to come here but after realizing just how much Sirius needed someone because she was sure he wasn't emotionally ready to face this house, Eli couldn't refuse to tag along.

Elise sighed, slipping her wand back into her pocket and pulled down on her maroon gray and black plaid sweater before she turned back towards the open door. Hesitantly, she poked her head out the door, looking down the dark hallway only dimly lit with a small oil lamp at the end of the hall. She should know better then snoop around but she'd never seen the face of the second hall and after all….

Eli stepped out into the hall

…she was a Ravenclaw; curiosity was one of her largest assets.

She heard the chatter between Kreacher and Sirius downstairs; their voices were a bit hushed but defiantly there for her hear. Oddly the raucous coming from the kitchen comforted her; this place was already dark enough that it didn't need silence to contribute to the eeriness it already contained….

She turned inattentively, intending to walk down the hall to gaze at the portraits on the walls, but then her eye caught a glimmer of something. Elise slowly paused and shifted her sight to where that faint shine of light came from. It came from a gold plate bolted against the door next to Sirius'. "R.A.B….", she rested a hand on it studying the plate. The girl narrowed her eyes and then read the fine print on underneath "…_ Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Re-_"

There was a horribly loud clunk and before she could catch up with her brain to realize what was going on, there, in front of her, Regulus had almost bumped into Elise.

Dressed in his causal attire of a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and black slacks, stood the Slytherin boy who had performed an unforgivable on her.

This was his room? There was a horrible knot in her stomach, she didn't know if she should slap him or run away and find Sirius for protection.

Regulus stood there with a stunned face, his one hand in his scruffy locks; though his expressions were almost always hidden beneath a nonchalant, collective and prattful smirk, he couldn't help but feel tense in front of this girl. And for that-for making him feel this way- he loathed her. And yet, he didn't seem or act as resentful as he intended he would have acted as when he'd meet Elise again.

And then out of nowhere she solemnly looked up at the boy "I'm sorry for your mother" she spat quickly. She surprised herself from what she'd just said and done.

He was taken aback but tried to suppress his own surprise. The boy was amazed of her ability to look past all that he'd done and express her condolences? He wasn't used to such kindness.

"I-I…" he coughed to shake away his stuttering "Likewise….for your father"

Eli's dark blue eyes narrowed but then she noticed Regulus' expression soften and for once she saw the real him-Not that arrogant Slytherin rich boy he acted as in school, but a misunderstood, young, and slightly frightened boy.

Maybe it was this side that she'd felt all this time… that would explain how she never felt any real antipathy towards Regulus even after he'd struck her with an unforgivable curse. This was why her heart was so in awe of him but then again…. There was always this sense of hesitation, reluctance and guardedness because of how dangerous she knew he was.

It was an odd sensation to him, this sear in his chest. He loathed her, despised her, and yet here when she stood in front of him all that bitterness melted away. It alarmed Regulus to think he was becoming fond of this girl.

"-…What are you doing here" he finally asked, letting go of his head and standing up straight.

She looked down at her feet before she took a small step back from the boy "You're brother…"

"...yeah I heard him..."

"I came to help him pick up some stuff from his room."

He peered up at her but her pupils quickly shifted away from her too look somewhere else out of nervousness. "…I see" Regulus, himself, felt embarrassed for trying to look at her straight in the eye.

There was an awkward silence as the two stood there; neither of them even dared to look at each other up until that gnawing little voice in her head led Elise to finally ask what she'd wanted to ask all this time.

"….hey…." she whispered softly, fumbling with a strand of her long hair "…why did you do it?"

He didn't understand at first.

"…why'd you curse me…"

In an instant, he was starring at her. How is one supposed to explain themselves after a stunt like that? She'd never understand and that's why he'd been avoiding her since then; even that day at The Three Broomsticks.

"…If I knew you'd forgive me, I would have explained myself already…"

Eli's head snapped up to meet his eyes. She'd wished she didn't have for when she saw that broken and grim look on his face; she didn't know what to say. All she felt was an indescribable ache in her chest.

"Hey, Elise?" their stillness was disturbed with the sudden thumps of steps coming from the staircase.

"I-I…" she tore her gaze away from Regulus to watch the shadows of Sirius walking up. "Y-yeah?" she finally called back to Sirius uneasily, while walking slowly away from the door and the boy.

"I am sorry…" he whispered low and promptly closed the door of his room.

She was stricken and her heart pounded against her chest even harder as she looked back at his room, but Elise quickly ran back to Sirius's room trying to shove away all the thoughts that were growing in her head.


	6. Year Four

_Year Four_

This year felt different; she felt it from the first steps Elise took inside of Hogwarts. With _his_ power rising and the imminent fear of his reign casting a darker shadow over Hogwarts and its students, the mood of the new year felt off. Most Slytherins had dropped out for predictable reasons and other returning students weren't as cheerful as they would have been-everyone had suddenly matured in Elise's eyes. Only the first years were overwhelmed with anticipation and joy for their first chapters at Hogwarts; their merry sorting ceremony guised the real fears growing in every other student's hearts.

Now all fourth years, Eli, Holly, Bradley and the others sat on or near the navy and bronze accented sofas in one section of the Ravenclaw common room. It was the first night at Hogwarts and it had almost become a ritual for them to gather around in the common room. Holly sat by the legs of Bradley's chair, lazily playing with her hair while watching Eli and Al sat on the couch that faced the large arched glass window overlooking the great lake outside.

"Did you notice the Slytherin table?" Patricia flipped her red hair behind her shoulder before bending herself forward and low to murmur her observation. She sat cross legged next to Charlie who had just sighed, shrugging his shoulders. The two sat by the small coffee table and near Greg's chair.

Now that it was late and most of the other students had retired to their beds, the redhead finally saw it fit to talk about the matter.

"Suppose you know why?" Bradley remarked sarcastically; raking his hair back before crossing his arms.

"You don't think-"

"of course not, Tricia'" Holly quickly interrupted her but her thoughts were too innocent. It was quite clear why so many Slytherins were now gone and absent.

Al raised his eyebrows in an instant

"You don't honestly think kids our age could…" her eyes rolled around and then fell on her left forearm "you know…"

"You obviously underestimate that house…." Gregory commented with a huff "….Parkinson's gone and we all know how his father's keen with… _you know who_" he harshly whispered the last bit

Charlie hugged the throw pillow tighter, a little frightened "But that's-"

"It's gotten to that point hasn't it…" it wasn't a matter of question, but realization. It was clear to Elise how much had changed since the break in into the ministry. With so many death eaters captured, the children of those men and women had suddenly lost touch with Hogwarts suggesting their involvement within the war. Students taking sides only strengthened the fact that this war was just starting to reach its peak.

"But I see the Blacks are still around…" Patricia scrunched her nose.

Elise's attention was suddenly caught and Al groaned making a face to quiet the redhead but she hadn't noticed his signal.

"…while that wild one my have graduated, that Narcissa girl's still here with other odd sister. And not to mention Reg-"

"Patricia…." Al suddenly tapped her shoulder and she instantly looked up and then over to the girl who sat next to the boy. Her eyes immediately fell sad and her whole body was consumed in guilt when she saw Eli looking, not necessarily mad but a little tense.

She let out a small faint breath, "… Eli… I'm-"

Potter looked at her with a narrow smile to reassure her friend "it's quite alright…besides not all of the Blacks are bad…"

Holly smirked teasingly "oh that Sirius boy…"

Eli was taken aback, she never necessarily meant only Sirius…

* * *

><p>It turned up that Professor Randletop did have the gall. Indeed, he did, even after the news of their loses, the professor found it his duty to punish the two.<p>

Elise hadn't expected it; he had all summer to inform her and when he hadn't, she just assumed she's been forgiven. And so when the professor gestured at the two students to come near his desk after class had ended one day to inform them of their detentions for the next few weeks, Elise was stunned.

"A month…" the man with the dark beard stared at Eli "… and two for you, young man." He then gestured towards Regulus, who stood firm next to the uncomfortable Elise.

"But sir, I have quidditch practice on Thursdays and Mondays…" his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched tightly.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, but you should have expected this Regulus."

He looked away with tense eyes.

Eli shifted her weight from one leg to the other, holding her books firmer against her chest "and I have Astronomy club every Thursday as well…" she squeaked in, but Randletop had already made his decision and was waving his hand at the two of them, not only at Eli.

"The two of you must understand, surely, of your behavior and actions. I can't let this pass" he stated and then slowly stood up from his desk to glower at the two students- Regulus sighed heavily and looked away and Elise, also, averted her eyes from the teacher as she shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, yet again. "What you two displayed was careless and strictly forbidden and so…" He paused for a moment and when he heard both of them groan, his temper suddenly rose.

"You must report to my classroom! Everyday! For the next one… two months! After dinner! At seven! Am I clear?"

"Profes-"

"Am I clear!" it wasn't a question anymore and so the two were forced to nod solemnly.

Yes, Regulus felt deeply guilty for what he'd done and wanted to repent, but he found spending the next month with the girl he'd victimized for hours wouldn't be a good idea.

With a tight knot at his throat and tense expression the boy swiftly and almost disrespectfully walked out of the classroom.

The girl did the same when she heard his footsteps fade until it was completely gone.

She grunted with irritation hastily walking down the hall. It was irking to think of him and how confusing Regulus came off to be towards Elise. He frightened her and yet, she felt attracted…

She felt her cheeks growing hot, but quickly and literally shook it away.

"Eli!"

The girl immediately halted and looked up to notice Peter and James walking towards her way.

"Are you cutting class?" she suddenly noticed how suspicious they really looked. James had his wicked smirk and Peter nervously laughed when she'd made the comment.

"Shouldn't we be asking you the same?" her brother questioned inquisitively

"My classes just ended for the day. Remember, I'm still a forth year…I have fewer classes"

Peter chuckled at her eye roll and mocking voice. James sighed nudging at his friend's arm to quiet him. He then moved closer to his younger sister with his friend, whispering low to make sure anyone who would possibly be listening to them wouldn't hear "there's a secret quidditch game this afternoon, you in?"

He couldn't possibly be asking her if she wanted to play. He knew how terrible she was; he'd be mad to ask her.

"…to play?" she asked for good measure and her brother laughed

"You're joking right?"

"I thought so…"

"-no" Peter, finally, meekly interrupted but then his expression lit up when he motioned to his hands as if he were rubbing money in his hands "for bets… thought you'd want to make a few pounds"

Her eyebrows rose.

"That… and we need a score keeper?" James grinned

"Why don't you just ask Sirius to do it?"

"….He'll be busy…"

"Remus?"

Peter sighed "he just wants to watch…"

She followed his sigh with her own. How this plan could ever work was beyond her. The idea was unlawful- wrong when considering the regulations of the game (for all the boys knew, they'd be breaking tones of health and injury policies to play an unsupervised game).

"Who else is-"

The three of them heard the clang of a door being shut nearby. James hushed his voice lower and quickly made the message short "-you'll find out when you're there… don't be late…it starts at five, sharp" he looked around to find the source of the noise but then quickly looked back at her sister, pushing his glasses further against his nose "… it's taking place just a few miles down the real quidditch field… just before the forest starts… alright?"

She sighed looking at the two of them with much disappointment but what could she actually do? Deep inside she liked the risk in what the boys would always be up to "….Alright"

* * *

><p>It was time for this secret game quicker than she'd expected.<p>

The boys were smart for a time when they'd be out of the eyes of professors and some other students; they'd chosen the perfect time for the secret game for five pm was just around the time most students were either at going to dinner or of just retiring from their daily after school activities- students would be, especially on a Wednesday like today, too tired to roam around without worrying about their priorities

"I thought James said you were to busy to score keep!" Eli's brow furrowed when he'd reached the makeshift field for the game, and approached where the score board sat near the first row of the bench.

Sirius sat near the score board with Remus; they'd been chattering about the others before noticing the girl.

She took a seat by the score board and Sirius smirked "I'm actually handling the money" he took the money some boy just shoved over to him. "…which team, mate?"

Elise watched the boy squint his eyes to size up the teams; she followed his gaze to the players- a few hovering in the sky and a few just hanging out on the ground near the goal posts.

She'd caught James standing near a Hufflepuff seventh year boy and a fifth year Gryffindor girl talking animatedly about something- supposing they were on his team she went about to hunt for the common thread that could make some of the others in his team. She'd found a few she was sure were on his team and so she'd concluded most of the members on James' team were a rambunctious, rowdy and select group of Gryffindors, a few elder Ravenclaws and quite a few Hufflepuff.

"Team James"

Team holder and Seeker...

Elise sighed, wasn't he surely full of himself… She was sure he was the guy whose master plan this secret game was.

"And you?"

The girl was caught off guard at Peter's question. He'd randomly jumped onto the seat next to Remus looking down at her.

"I'm only here to score keep" she reasoned "… if I were to bet on a certain team I'd be creating room for others to doubt my score keeping"

"They'd still doubt it if you didn't bet" Remus politely added but his remark was far from kind- it was sharp and amusing, well for the other two boys "… you're James' kid sister"

She rolled her eyes and waved him away, turning her head back towards the field. She watched with narrow eyes at the other team. It struck her odd that the team was mostly composed of Slytherins and a few Ravenclaws she knew to be quite mischievous at times. It was odd because if this was supposed to be just a friendly match for bets, James would probably be playing against a mostly Hufflepuff and Gryffindor comprised team.

There was something more here; something greater Elise couldn't quiet put her finger on.

But then her eyes fell on that toad of a boy Snape- his snarl always lingering on his lips but today it had reached another level. He was angry today; maybe it was because he was being forced to sit on a broomstick for she knew just how pathetic he was on it.

"…Sirius…" there was a disapproving tone to her voice and the boys caught on- Remus pretended not to notice however and suddenly started a light conversation with Peter.

Sirius, on the other hand, sighed; he knew they could never pull anything over on Elise.

She was about to scold him but then her gaze fell over to Lily. She sat nervously, bundled up in her coat and scarf, biting her lips with irritation. Her eyes would always flicker from Eli's brother then to Serverus and then back to James.

"... Don't tell me…" Elise's blue eyes darted away from Lily, back to Sirius, just as she'd started to turn her head toward the young Potter.

"… Your brother has a knack for showing-off, thought he'd finally use it against that Serverus kid"

Elise harshly whispered thumping the boy on the head "I'm quiet sure you're the one who put the idea in his head!...you know how bad Serverus is at quidditch, he could get hurt! What then?" There were no medic, no supervision… if we were to get hurt, not only her and all the others would be in jeopardy, but Snape wouldn't think twice before blaming everything on James and if that would happen… expulsion would definitely be in the near future.

"I wouldn't worry about him…" he rubbed the sore spot on his head after shoving Elise away, lightly.

Though it was vague, his advice was right. Serverus had connections, sure he wasn't good at quidditch but he had basically the whole nasty Slytherin quidditch team up there to defend him.

"I-…" she followed his gaze when he gestured up towards the sky, where Regulus and Rosier hovered on their broomsticks. Although, she was sure Sirius was pointing out Rosier for he was quiet the vicious beater on the official Slytherin team, Regulus' presence caught her attention the most.

"…James has plenty to handle"

The same nervous fears she'd seen on Lily before had seemed to transcend onto Elise. Here eyes rapidly moved from her brother who was just now pushing himself from the ground to levitate only a few meters and then to Regulus, who she knew, even though she did find a little kindness within him, had quiet a grudge towards James- not just because he was Sirius' Gryffindor best friend but because nearly all Slytherins hated her brother for his proud pride in defeating all who'd bad mouth Gryffindor.

Elise hadn't noticed at the long time she'd been watching Regulus for, for, even from such a distance, he'd noticed and met with her gaze- her thoughts were completely shattered and she'd quickly averted her eyes away before she could feel anything.


	7. Year IV Part II

_Sorry for the very late update but school's just started for me and I'm still adjusting to my new schedule. But yeah here's another chapter... and I hope it too choppy because I left it off quiet a while ago and just continued and finished today even though I should have been studying for my two tests in my AP classes tomorrow... oh well... ^^; _

_But anywho, enjoy reading! And yes the story seems to be getting by quiet slow, but it'll make sense soon... I hope... =) (also excuse any errors... I edit these things probably a dozen times and yet some things just go unnoticed sometimes.)  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>4th Year Part 2<em>

Completely ridiculous this game was. It had finally given the two sides to openly and unrestrictedly pummel each other and so Elise saw player after player brutally attacking each other as if they were beasts. Though there hadn't been any serious injury yet, and most of these players had a stubborn mentality towards the game, the match still continued with team Snape at sixty points and team Potter at forty.

Elise punched on the button turning the four to a five when she noticed that same Gryffindor girl she'd seen from before drive the quaffle through one of the goal posts. "…fifty…" make that fifty points for team Potter.

The small victory was short lived when the third year Slytherin, Gibbon, clubbed the blugger towards her way and even though she dodged it only at the last second, the act still didn't sit well the Gryffindor- Gibbon had played it off as if he were passing towards Rosier behind her.

"Should I call on that?" Elise was playing both score keeper and, now, supervisor. With so many fouls and rule breaking, everyone looked over to her to settle the disputes even though she wasn't well versed in the regulations of Quidditch.

Remus leaned forward before taking the seat next to her; he was about to put his two cents in before Sirius cut him off. "Unless you want Gibbon and Rosier after you, I really think you shouldn't-"

"-Well you can't anyway…" Remus frowned at Sirius "…no one got hurt and you can't prove it was on purpose…." His light brown bangs fell over his eyes as he went back to the book he'd brought along with him "…even if it seems that way…"

Exhaling, she nodded.

During the last few plays, Elise had finally learned through the boys on why this match was even taking place. It was a game for dignity respect and , to put it simply, show up one another. An argument had escalated jut a day ago between the two in the hall - probably started by Potter- and Serverus finally found enough courage to challenge the Gryffindor. Naturally, with James so manipulatively mischievous it had become an elaborate plan of a quidditch match to settle their disputes but to settle who was more superior. Lily may or may have not been the subject matter-maybe, but silently-, but that wouldn't matter, whom ever would be victorious wouldn't gain any advantage toward their pursuit for Lily. Elise saw the concern in Lily's eyes; the extremely kind and selfless person she was, she would always have a great deal of respect and love for the two, so, to her, it wouldn't really matter who would win. All she was really concerned about was James' and Serverus' safety and ultimately their refusal to just get along.

Longbottom zoomed past most of the other team's players with the quaffle tucked under one arm; the 6th year Ravenclaw chaser, Edmund, was on his tail but that didn't stop Longbottom from shooting and scoring a another ten points for Potter's team.  
>So the score was now level. Elise punched the points in while her eyes were still transfixed on the game still carrying out above.<p>

Her eye sight was never really all that great but, she couldn't mistake the boys quickly flying up higher towards the sky. It was James and Regulus, both chasing the snitch they'd finally found zipping in the air.

"Come on!" Sirius was on the edge of the bench as if to jump up from his seat any second, Peter, mesmerized, watched a little interestingly and, all the while, Regulus sat besides Elise with an indifference towards the game and yet whenever the girl would glance her way towards Lupin, she'd see a small proud grin on his face as he pretended to read his book.

They were gaining on the small golden orb but the two were still so far from actually grabbing it. Every so seconds, they'd yell at each other, sneer at each other, making efforts to knock the other off their broomstick.

"James…" she chanted the name silently under her breath and yet her gaze was latched onto the raven black haired boy.

Potter and Black pulled back when they noticed the snitch turn away from in front of them and whiz underneath them, down towards the forbidden forest. With quick turns, they'd both come neck and neck in reaching for the ball- the anticipation was killing the few students watching, though Elise was more worried about the conversation the two were having. In the midst of chasing after the ball, their mouths rapidly moved, spitting out words Elise couldn't read. But she didn't necessarily have to read their lips to understand that they were fighting.

There were moments she'd sworn she'd thought she'd seen them mouth her own name, but before she could even focus on that, in the corner of her eyes she'd noticed that Rosier character, once again , club the blugger, but this time towards James' direction.

"James!"

He wasn't paying attention, but focused on both the snitch and Regulus. It was Black who had peered up over Potter and broke out of his icy façade to stare at Elise who'd been watching in the distance and than towards the blugger hurling his and James' way. Regulus had pulled out of the pursuit for the little golden orb, letting James grab it just before he'd pushed Potter out of the way, making him fall off his broomstick and hit the ground hard.

Elise stood up with the boys in horror; the match was suddenly over and forgotten of and Lily sprinted without a thought across the field.

"…J-James!"

The four followed with the few students, huddling around Potter, both curious and worried.

She kneeled over at the fallen boy and wildly moved her red hair away from her face to get a clear picture of his state.

"The snitch!" Sirius cried in a sudden realization of the grin on his friend's face as he revolved the, now, wingless ball.

Lily relaxed and Elise moved back from her brother, a bit more at ease when she saw the playful smile he threw Lily before kissing the snitch and holding it up towards Peter, Sirius and Remus in victory. But there was something else- there was an eerie and sickening sensation creeping up her stomach and then the girl remembered that although James had fallen, he'd only done so, because Regulus was trying to protect him…. So that would mean….

Eli quickly maneuvered out of the crowd and searched frantically for Regulus; when she found him, he too was fallen on the ground wincing in pain as Lesley pressed lightly against his shoulder. Parkinson stooped next to her with Rosier not too far behind, looking away with crossed arms, both frustrated and somewhat shameful.

Regulus had been hit buy the blugger on the shoulder instead and from what it seemed, it was more serious than Lesley was taking it to be.

"I'm fine…" he grunted towards the two in midsts of trying to lift that arm up, but it only twitched before falling limp.

Elise wanted to help, she almost felt guilty, but how could she just rush in there, in the middle of all those who despised her.

She bit her lip, glancing once towards her friends, who were too preoccupied with James and then slowly and hesitantly stepped forward "I think it's dislocated…" she muttered innocently and yet with a confidence that made most of them stare at her.

Serverus, who'd been standing there, blocking her from the boy, turned, surprised.

She'd walked past him, nevertheless, and crouched down towards Regulus; ignoring the wicked glares everyone else was giving her. Elise touched her arm lightly and Regulus' face stiffened

"Let it go" he harshly whispered to her, but it was clear most of them had heard.

She was taken aback but it didn't surprise her. Instead Eli pushed her sleeves up and gripped harder on his arm, making the boy bite back a groan.

"I said let me go!" his voiced boomed in her ear and frightened the girl, but she wasn't causing him pain deliberately, she was only trying to fix it-trying get a feel if his shoulder really was dislocated.

Though she was no medic, she'd witnessed her mother fix up James' arm the numerous times he'd dislocate it in his careless games of quidditch during the summer holidays.

Holding it tightly with arm and slipping out her wand with the other after confirming her assumption, she muttered a short spell.

Regulus' face was contorted in a grimace while the others watched his pitiful state, but when she'd spoken the spell and the excruciatingly numbing pain ceased and all at once faded away, his face softened. There was a moment he wanted to rip his arm away from her, but now he let her touch linger, letting her remain closely next to him. "…I" he started with a faint breath

Elise nodded her head a no, loosened her grip on the boy's arm but not just yet moving her hand away. She looked up at him with a small and sweet smile only meant for him for she knew why he'd taken the hit in the first place, even if he was trying to deny it in his actions…. Or maybe he was just acting this way only because of the people surrounding him….

"Elise…" he spoke again and so low that it was only her who'd heard this time.

But she finally slipped her hand away, stopping him from going any further with her eyes. She only silently stood up, looking past everyone who still kept a tense face toward her and watched Remus and a few other of her friends glancing her way, but moving their gazes away in the hopes of her not noticing.

There was a moment she wanted to look back and tell him so many things, thank him even; but it wasn't the right time. She knew better and so did he, so the two just let each other go, waiting for a time they'd meet again.

* * *

><p>After a humdrum diner, with James only boasting even further of his victory, Sirius cheering him on with most of the Gryffindors excitedly listening to his conquest, which was quite routinely for Eli, she had escaped and prepared herself for the detention she'd be forced to share with that Slytherin.<p>

She walked down towards Randletop's classroom, finding the sandwich she'd had for dinner unsettlingly sitting in her stomach, weighting her down. When Eli finally entered the room she found Randletop already handing Regulus a stack of booklets.

The two looked at her, watching her slowly step in and shut the door behind her.

"Right on time…" the professor motioned towards Elise to continue down the row towards them. "For the next few hours you two will be recopying some of these pamphlets…." His awkward and boney fingers reached for the two ink bottles on his desk and he handed them to Eli.

She nodded silently, waiting for any other orders he'd want to add.

"…I'll be using them next week for your class, so it'd advise for you two to finish these by Tuesday of next week…" Randletop switched his gaze from Elise to Regulus, who was settling himself in his seat with the heavy stack.

"...anything else, sir?" Eli asked only out of annoyance.

The professor was a little astounded by her tone, but just waved her away, turning his back towards the staircase that lead to his office and dorm upstairs "…no, you two are to be silent and when the clock strikes ten, both of you may leave after stowing away your work in the cabinet"

He didn't wait for the reply, only continued on his way up towards his office, leaving the two to fend off copying these fifty copies of twenty-four paged pamphlets on defending against an attack by themselves.

After he'd left the two, Elise found her seat next to Regulus's and almost mechanically sat straight down to start the work. But she could never really just go straight to work... he was distracting and with his presence just so close, she'd become somewhat of a nervous wreck. She always found herself at a lost of words near him, an awkward stillness and frustration creeping inside of her and engulfing her, making her unable to spit out a clear sentence from her mouth.

He'd bumped into her elbow, making her scribble off the page and ruin the word she'd been writing.

"Oh…sorry!" stupidly and pathetically she'd shouted out as if it were her fault.

Regulus looked her at her oddly, nodding a sorry himself.

The girl lit out an uncomfortable chortle, biting her lip embarrassed. How so idiotic she was…surely he was taking her as a foolish and pathetic girl.

"…No… I'm sorry…" he reached over and slipped out another piece of parchment from the desk behind them, handing it to the girl for her start over again.

There was never a real smile on his face, but his action genuine and that made the frown on Elise's expression fade away.

"…thank you…." She nodded, bobbing her head while taking the paper "…and also" his eyes meet with hers again "… for earlier…" she had to thrown it in there-Just to see his reaction…possibly even get out a few answers?

Regulus clenched his quill but then exhaled heavily letting the feather drop near the ink bottle "-I've already lost to you brother isn't that punishment enough? I don't need your sympathy… I haven't done anything to gain you 'thanks'" he made a face towards her and then picked up his quill again, twirling it around his fingers.

She didn't want to believe it because she knew he'd done was because, and possible for, her; the moment their eyes had finally meet and stayed upon each other; the boy had risked himself for James' safety. That couldn't just be coincidental.

Elise smiled to herself not because she was just a little flattered that he cared enough not to beat and put James' at risk of any type of injury for Elise's sake but because it was amusing how hard Regulus was trying to hide his true feelings

"I see..." she playfully smirked at him when he peered up to her. The boy's expression lightened when he saw the little smile- he'd realized she was far too clever to take his excuse.

"I..."

She waved at him to stop with that look still on her face "…if it makes you feel any better" her voice dropped low into a soft whisper "I think your performance throughout the game cancels out your loss" she'd purposely veered off from showing her appreciation or thanks because she'd figured out just how this boy take it. Instead, she'd just complimented him, silently and indirectly trying to tell him how much she was in debt and respectful of what he'd done for her brother.

There was a small and pretty smile on her lips. Regulus found it both quiet odd and yet appreciative. Even if he was trying hard to hide it, a grin tugged on the corner of his lip and he let out a faint chuckle, nodding his head before looking back down at the parchment as he combed the hair on the back of his head with his fingers.

And that was how the rest of the detention was spent- quiet but the two both wore small smiles for they knew even if they didn't talk, they were taking in each others presence- forgetting the notions they had of each other due to the groups they belonged to and silently starting over again.


	8. Year IV Part III

_So I'm switching to 1st person(Elise) from now on, I just find it more comfortable. I don't know, for some stories when I do write 3rd person it feels more natural but from the beginning of this story when I started in 3rd person it just never clicked for me. It's weird, I know, but yeah this chapter switches to 1st for the second have. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>4th year part 3<p>

The rest of detention was spent in a haze. With countless words to copy and the numbing feeling of sitting and finally acknowledging each other, the two found themselves just scratching the surface of the long work which was ahead.

They squared away the parchments, books and quills sluggishly, almost slowing down any time they found a way to, to delay the inevitable conversation again.

Elise was to first step out the dungeon door, clunking the knob open. "Goodnight professor" she called out to Randletop, who watched the two students file out.

He nodded "goodnight" and the two stepped out into the empty and dimly let hallway. Before they separated in opposite directions, the two lingered for a moment.

"Goodnight, Eli" Regulus awkwardly waved while walking away from her.

"Night'" she waved back, hugging her book tighter against her chest and then resumed her journey up the stairwell that led to the tower. Regulus let out a smirk and turned around to his own path further down to the Slytherin dungeon.  
>Regulus was odd, possibly misunderstood, but so different from his brother, he had a heart it was just... she thought for a moment while passing the line of armor buried beneath the shadows cast over them.<p>

"…Lily, please!"

"No, I.."

The cloud of thoughts suddenly faded away from the hushed murmurs she heard seeping from the hall towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"I told you I didn't mean it…"

Elise slowly walked towards the voices, softly placing a hand over the column before poking a head past it. There, in front of the Gryffindor common room, stood Lily in her night robes angrily staring at Serverus who'd forcefully grabbed her wrist

"…so why are you being so difficult!" his eyes grew wide with both sorrow and frustration.

Lily yanked her had away from his grasp, rubbing the sore spot as soon as it was free "Difficult?" her voice suddenly faded from anger to a soft pity "can't you hear yourself?" she whispered almost inaudibly "how could you call me such a-…such a horrid name?"

The boy, disheveled his greasy dark bangs "You're so blinded by that Potter kind and his band of friends that you can't realize who your _real_ friends are anymore"

Elise ducked her head back behind the column.

Lily took a heavy sigh, offended "They would never call me such vile names. Those Slytherin kids have changed you! What happened to you Serverus?"

"My dear, it quite late, what are you doing up?"

Startled, Elise looked up at the painting of a group of old 17th century scientists, one of them awoken by all the noise.

She quickly stepped away from the column hushing the old man, "I'm sorry, goodnight"

He understood her gesture to not speak any louder or not speak at all when she made a frightened face towards the direction of Serverus and Lily.

The man nodded and tipped his night cap and then Elise quickly yet quietly ran to up towards the stair that led to the tower.

She was afraid Lily had noticed the painting talking to her; for a moment Elise had seen her green eyes flicker towards her direction.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" a charming and soft voice spoke both calmly yet confidently.

Elise's thoughts, once again, quickly vanished and she repeated the riddle in her head.

"…Edgar Allen Poe wrote on both"

"hmmm…" the voice digested the answer "clever…you may pass"

She'd heard the riddle elsewhere before so the answer wasn't too challenging, which was quite a relief. At the moment she didn't have the focus to solve any riddle. With what she'd just witnessed, the game and detention, she was glad to pass so easily into her dormitory and slip into her bed.

* * *

><p>I found myself trying to hide from Lily for the next few weeks even though I didn't know if she really did notice my eavesdropping or not. It was hard for she'd lately been hanging around with James and the gang so I ended up spending more time around my Ravenclaw friends or lingering near Randletop's dungeon in hopes of Regulus also, coincidently, arriving early for detentions(Needless to say, that never happened). I, for weeks and then nearly the whole autumn season , fell distant with the boys, only occasionally, now that I'd learned how to transform into my animal, I'd take Regulus for his monthly night runs.<p>

But at last, she did find me. I was carelessly studying in the courtyard and Lily had found me, taking a seat next to me.

"hey…"

"Hey Holly, do you know what McGonagall was talking about today, because I have a feeling that something is due tomorrow but I…"

"Elise."

I had assumed she was Holly, but after looking up and meeting those green eyes, my face fell flat. I cringed in the inside, wishing that I hadn't looked up. "Hi" my voice trailed off.

"Can I talk to you?"

I slowly folded my paper and straightened my posture.

Lily had a bleak expression on her face; her lips soured into a slight frown and her eyes darted from the dead leaves dancing around our feet.

"What is it?"

"It's fine. I don't blame you or anything…" she started out at first "…I know you're been avoiding me since that night a few weeks ago"

I sighed, combing my bangs away from my face "I swear I didn't tell anyone and I-"

"I said it's alright, didn't I?" Lily met my gaze again, but this time engaged me directly wanting me to keep staring at her. " I know you couldn't have told James of anything and that's not why I want to talk to you"

My shoulders slumped forward "then?"

"Do I forgive him?" she was abrupt in her question and her sad face now morphed into something pitiful.

Lily was pleading for my advice? Out of all of her sixth year friends, she was asking me? –James' sister who was obviously going to refer to her brother than Serverus?

Besides, I always had the conception that Lily was a strong girl. She was bold and free spirited at times but yet so very kind to those around her; she had herself put together.

I looked once more at her after I'd looked down at my hands, baffled. At that moment, I realized she'd been contemplating her circumstance for quite some time. She was confused; truly happy around James yet guilty for neglecting Serverus despite the fact that James was always rude to Serverus and Serverus had called her something vile.

"That all depends on if you really want to" I remembered back to how easily I'd forgiven Regulus' actions and behavior. I felt stupid and so weak for forgiving him for such harsh acts, but I kind of wanted his attention and so wanted to forgive him...and that was a different story "do you have the heart to?"

She shrugged a little defeated.

…Maybe not. I had hope for Regulus and that's why I forgave him so easily; I saw something else and something kind that just needed a little pushing.

"Lily" The girl was struggling with tears. Maybe she wasn't as strong—no, she was, but just very gentle and innocent in nature. She was the kind of girl who wanted to please everyone. "Talk to Serverus"

"I've tried! After that night, I tried numerous times, but I feel like he's given up on me!" she threw her hands up frustrated but then chocked on her words, letting out a tear "I've hurt him, haven't I?"

I held her hand sympathetically. I really wished I knew what to tell her but, honestly, I've been so confused myself lately that I'm not the one who should be giving out advice "Talk to James" I let out softly.

So I did reference my brother but it wasn't because I favored him over Serverus, rather, I knew she just needed someone strong and grounded to openly talk to.

The redhead sniffled, wiping at her eyes quickly just when we saw some students walking out into the courtyard. She bobbed her head a yes and smiled at me.

"He'd be more helpful than I" I smiled back timidly.


	9. Year IV Part IV

4th year, Part 4

Winter came quickly; the howling wind grew stronger and the blizzards dressed the castle in glittery white. The holidays were near and for a moment no one seemed to remember much about He-who-must-not-be-named's presence and power. The festivities, upcoming winter ball, decorating, caroling and merry Hogsmeade trips guised any bad thoughts during the next winter months.

Around the subject of the winter ball, however, I felt miserable. Hogwarts wasn't as bad as it usually is around Valentine's Day but love was differently in the air. We were at that age now that the boys were finally growing out of their shell and finding enough courage to ask their crushes since the second year. Bradley had finally asked Holly on a date and so they were going to the ball together—no real surprise there. Greg was going with Patricia and so on with all the other couples; it was just I, who hadn't been asked b anyone.

"Go with Al" Holly held the muted yellow gown up to her body, smiling when she liked what she saw in the mirror.

I tossed my book aside and rolled over on my bunk meeting her eyes in the mirror "I think he's going with some Gryffindor girl"

"I swear I felt as if Harold Davies wanted to ask you"

"Harold?" I made a face but it wasn't because I didn't like him, but because I was trying to hide the fact that I thought he was pretty handsome.

"Yeah, the seventh year" the blonde watched me with an bemused smile "Ravenclaw's finest chaser" she orated

I blushed but then realized he hadn't asked me at all "No, he hasn't approached me ever"

The blonde threw the gown on her bunk, "You're kidding! I distinctly heard him talking to about in the hallway one day"

"You were eavesdropping?"

Holly broke into a cheesy smile and then shrugged, "I couldn't help it"

* * *

><p>I walked down the corridor towards the Great Hall in my casual weekend attire of a wooly oversized sweater and simple denim jeans. Sunday afternoons were always spent in the Great Hall with Sirius, Remus and occasionally Longbottom, but today I had more of a reason than that to stroll in there. Harold was always there either diligently reading his book or catching up on his homework there. Although going alone to the ball wouldn't have been so bad, I just didn't want to be the only one without a date. So yeah, I'd try to make any efforts at all to catch Harold's attention; at least there was someone who was still available.<p>

In all my thinking, though, I hadn't even noticed Harold had just walked out of the hall with his book.

I looked up both a little surprised and yet excited. The brunette met my eyes and almost smiled just as I waved hi. I instantly felt stupid for doing so and yet it amused Harold and he kept on walking. Nevertheless, in all my embarrassment, while still watching him, I'd knocked into to someone.

"I'm soo sorry!"

I looked back and Harold had already moved on casually walking around the corner.

"Why is it, you keep on knocking into me?"

I bent over, hastily picking up the book and then met with Regulus' bemused gaze.

I laughed, shrugging my shoulders while handing him his Potions textbook. Regulus let out a faint sigh "Are you naturally just clumsy because surely you don't seem like the person who has a lot to think about on their mind"

Regulus followed my eyes towards the direction Harold had just gone and then met my eyes when I snapped my head back to him. "Are you calling me stupid?"

"Of course not. I never said such thing" he commented

My eyes narrowed and he simply threw me a wicked smirk "You're so condescending"

He shrugged and then we grew silent, but it wasn't awkward. In that moment I saw a window into the future, and how it might have been if our relationship wasn't so complicated: if he was close to Sirius, if he might have been a Gryffindor, if had been James' closest friend and if he hung around with Remus and Peter. As much as I was now aware of this certain feeling growing for him, I knew I had to suppress even more certainly.

I let out a breath with a small smile "I'll see you, Thursday"

His features softened and he let out somewhat of a hopeful smile but his voice was still casually indifferent "see you"

I brushed past him and ducked into the hall eyeing Sirius tiredly sitting near Remus and Longbottom playing Wizard's Chess next to him. I almost wished I was Regulus next to the three of them, lounging around with them.

"Eli, hey!" Sirius's eyes jumped when he saw me and Remus and Frank waved to me.

I pushed away my little fantasy and went to join them.

"so…" Sirius raised his eyebrows "the ball is just around the corner and I hear Frank has his eye on you" with an comical gesture he pushed me hard enough to turn my head over to Longbottom playing wizard's chess with Remus. Thankfully they were far enough away to not notice at all.

"Bugger off. He's going with Alice" I shoved his hands away from my head.

Sirius laughed "I know, I just wanted to see your reaction"

I made a face at him and went back to my book but it was obvious to the fact that Sirius wanted to talk more about the subject. "And I heard Emmeline has had her eyes on you"

"Really?" I heard the certain enthusiasm in his voice and it annoyed me "You don't say; I was meaning to ask her…If you're lying then-"

"No I was kidding" I mocked and his eyes grew into slits.

"So no one's asked you yet, hmm?"

I sighed rolling my eyes and then hunching forward a little defeated "no"

Sirius smirked folding his arms behind his head "you suppose, you know why?"

My eyes narrowed and I sat up punching his arm "What have you done?"

"Nothing!" he rubbed his arm with that grin still plastered on his face "Just James…. And" I met his eyes in a flaring fury "… and okay maybe we've been deterring blokes away from you. But it's for your own good!"

"Sirius!"

"You should see some of them Eli, they're soo…."

"That doesn't matter! Who are you and James to pick who I go with and besides, you've been stalking my potential dates?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders "not stalking." I stared at him both bewildered and irritated, rolling my newspaper "…We've been eavesdropping"

I took that rolled newspaper and stuck him in the head "Sirius!" with so much aggravation I, then, did so once more quite frankly not giving a damn if I'd just interrupted Remus and Frank at their game down the table. "Here, I was thinking I wasn't good enough for anyone, and two of you have been-"

"-Eli!-"

"-Sirius!" I yelled at him again, and this time the boy caught my roll before I was about to thump him in the head again "do you want to go to the ball with me?"

The question knocked me off my guard. I was fuming with anger that I wasn't able to hold in my squeak of frustration. My fists tightened at his boyish and sympathetic smile.

"No!" I stood up abruptly and yanked my newspaper out of his hand before whipping his head just one more time "Give that to James!" I stormed out of the hall but I heard Sirius scrambling up to his feet and running after me.

"Eli..."

"James put me up to it!" his yells scattered the couple thinking it was teacher coming by.

I was infuriated and I was trying hard to forget Sirius still chasing after me and just seek out James to give a good beating to. They were never ones to interfere with my affairs, so what was making them do so now?

"We'll go as friends, of course!... Eli!... just listen to me!"

"Forget it, Sirius"

I'd hit a dead end but quickly turned around but then ducked under Sirius' arm to make it to the open corridor which lead to the Quidditch fields where I knew James was. I'd embarrass him right in front of his team mates.

"Elise!" and just as I was about to make it onto the stone steps Sirius pulled at my arm in a quick motion.

"Have a heart. James only put me up to it because he just wants to protect you"

"From what? I'm a strong girl, Sirius. I'm not a kid anymore!"

The curly headed boy shushed me by dragging me away from the entry way and into a nook between two columns. "You're right, you're not that little girl anymore…" his expression made me look away "…James is your older brother, it's natural for him to feel so protective of you"

"Oh well…" I mocked "in that case, aren't I lucky"

Sirius sighed, "And as you're second oldest brother…"

The steam on my head started to evaporate once he said that.

"… I agreed to take you. To make sure…. You know…" his pale cheeks started to gain a pinkish hue and I immediately giggled. "…nothing would happen"

"Honestly," I let out a chuckle "the most extreme scenarios play in your boys' heads"

" Eli" he tried to dead pan but his innocent and childish blush was too humorous and suggestive of what they'd thought would happen to me.

I ruffled his hair and smiled "I'm thankful that I have all of you- all four of you boys- but let me go with a real date. Please?"

Sirius moaned "Fine. How about if you don't find a date by the day before the ball, I'll take you"

I thought over it; it wasn't too late to still catch Harold or any other date…. What were the odds that I'd end up with no one until then? "You'd better go find Emmeline because I guarantee you I'll have a date by then"

"Don't too smug, now; the Ball is in four days" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it"


	10. Year IV Part V

"So Sirius told me…" James wasn't to be tested today. With a dark face, he mashed his already scrambled eggs and forcefully plunged his fork into a piece before taking a bite. "… Are you sure you can find a date by Friday?"

"Well it's still Thursday. I still have the day left" I commented matter-of-factly as I took a spoonful of my cereal.

Remus looked warily from me to Lily who had joined us for breakfast.

"Elise" Lily nudged my arm once she saw Harold starting to leave the dining table into the corridor outside.

James looked up from his food to Lily caught in the act of directing me towards Harold's direction and then followed my gaze.

Remus sighed, "Bit of a tension in the air today, it seems"

We ignored his remark and James set his fork down a little too aggressively, I suppose to catch my attention.

"Hey, what are you so upset about?" I frustratedly looked ay my brother while subtly trying to get up. "It's not like I dig into your affairs"

James' eyes narrowed once I gestured a look towards Lily.

"Because it's none of your business!"

"So the same principal should apply to me as well" I was too preoccupied with thoughts of Harold to even keep direct eye contact with my brother.

I could tell he hated how fresh I was acting but I couldn't linger around any longer.

"Eli-"

"I'll be careful, don't worry" I quickly let the whole thing drop and waved them goodbye.

"Elise! I'm note done…" his voice trailed off once I'd hurriedly escaped the hall. The measures I took were desperate, I admit, even for the girl who still had her heart stuck somewhere else, but Harold didn't seem like a bad choose for the Ball at all. In fact, it was surprising how even this late he hadn't gotten a date.

I spotted the seventh year casually strolling way down the corridor which would eventually open up at the courtyard. I quickly followed; however, I took the path out into the courtyard by just jumping over the ledge of the cement window which immediately opened up to the area. I ended up walking nearby the tree and fountain just in time for him to stumble upon me.

"Elise?"

I pretended as if I hadn't just taken all my efforts to get at this spot so I could see him. "hey…" I smiled nonchalantly but I felt as if it probably came off too suspicious.

He ran back his bangs-which bounced just back over his eyes- in a fascinated confusion. "Weren't you just at the hall...?" the boy then pointed back towards it with his book.

I shrugged "I was"

I was still stunned Harold had actually stopped over to talk to me. Yeah, Holly did tell me she thought he wanted to ask me to the ball, but that was all word-of-mouth, and besides he was a seventh year and I was only a fourth year…plus, other than the fact that I'd only actually talked to him at the after party when Ravenclaw had won the Quidditch cup one year back, I never really talked to him often.

"What are you doing out here? It's pretty cold to be running around without your robe"

I hadn't noticed I'd left my robe at the hall, let alone the slight trickle of snow above our heads.

"Just meeting up with Holly" I lied underneath my smile as a cold puff escaped my mouth in speaking "… and I forgot my robe at the hall. I guess I'll get it later"

He slightly chuckled at the way I said it and it almost made me wonder if he just thought of me as a trivial little fangirl. "Did you want mine?" He made a gesture to take off his own but I shook my hands suddenly embarrassed.

"Oh no, not at all, it's alright"

"Are you sure?" his eyebrows cocked

"Quite sure"

He let go of his robe and shifted his book from one hand to the other. There was a momentary pause in our conversation that grew from a certain awkwardness which I was sure was seeping from me. Eventually, though, Harold did make a gesture to me with a handsome and striking smile "I was meaning to ask you…" playfully he looked around on the floor and then to me.

I didn't know how to react to it; in all honestly, I wasn't sure if the sudden churn in my stomach was necessarily a good thing.

"…do you have a date to the ball?"

I simply shook my head slowly, bringing my hands together behind my back, nervously.

I saw the tension fade away from his shoulders "do you want to go with me?"

At first I was sure I hadn't heard him right, but then I realized that I'd just received the date I'd so longed for " yeah… sure" my lips dazedly curved into a smile. I wasn't sure if it was because of how cold and numb I was starting to feel or because I was proving Sirius and James wrong.

Harold racked his hair again, shaking off the snow that was slowly collecting on his head. "Great"

He'd explained when he'd pick me up but I just mindlessly nodded without any objection because I really couldn't really comprehend what had just happened. I'd lose focus on him and then drift somewhere off.

* * *

><p>"Did you know the Ball actually comes from The Triwizard Tournament?" Peter gleamed excitedly as he kept reading his book all the while our usual lot just walked down the hall.<p>

Sirius crossed his arms behind his head as he sauntered down the hall, not really caring much for what Peter was saying yet still asked a question to make it seem like he was acknowledging him "A what?"

Remus made a face at Sirius "You really can't tell from the event's name?"

Sirius closed his eyes as he yawned and almost bumped into a second year before I pulled at his sweater to correct his path.

"… it was a Tournament which was held a very long time ago where the most gifted, brave, bold and talented wizards were chosen from different schools to compete for glory" he orated the description as if he were reading off the book.

Peter had just looked up from in amazement at how well Remus had put it.

"The bravest and the bold?" James scoffed "all of them would nearly kill themselves- no they did kill themselves. That's not bold, at the least"

"That's why they banned it" Remus commented.

"And so how does the ball derive from that?" I asked to bring the attention back to what Peter was initially saying.

"Oh… " The small boy poked his head though the group " There was a thing called a Yule ball during the winter which would bring all the schools together and, well ,once the tournament was canceled Professors still kept the Ball around for some reason"

I shook my head silently.

"I say…" Sirius blinked his eyes open and straightened his posture, walking normally once again "Who'd you think would represent Hogwarts?"

"Definitely not James" I nudged my brother, knocking on the idea of how he carried himself exactly like the Triwizard Wizard Remus described.

James immediately noticed my mocking tone and pushed me to the side "You can't measure my courage and bravery" he sported a heroic stance and smile, causing a couple of nearby third and fourth year girls to blush.

"Maybe, Harold then? He's quite a fine candidate for a tournament like that….he's a chaser… bloody smart…"

My eyes leapt from James whose face had suddenly dropped. Sirius wore an amused face while glaring at me to see my reaction.

Padfoot continued to list "….A Prefect…quite dashing too"

"Harold?" my brother stopped and so did Remus and Peter.

"Sirius" I yanked on his tie subtly to know how he'd found out because I'd only told Lily and Holly thus far.

The curly brunette didn't care at how flush I was turning "Yeah, Ravenclaw's finest chaser" he mimicked the voice of how Madam Hooch might praise his name.

James, along with Remus and Peter were confused for a moment until Remus' face lightened with realization.

Remus immediately looked over at me and I felt I should have crawled under a rock. "Him?"

I bobbed my head and the boy just sighed letting it go because he knew James would be better at lecturing me… and yet he didn't. When his face drew a blank we were all surprised.

"Prongs?"

My brother cut to the chase "is he, the one you're going with?"

I hadn't noticed until his indifferent eyes darted to my fingers that I was nervously twirling the end of my ponytail. "Yeah" I nodded sheepishly.

"Oh…" that was all he said- a simple oh and a head nod before walking past me. He was good at concealing his emotions because I wasn't sure if he disagreed with my choice or just didn't like the idea of me going with a real date. Honestly, however, I thought I'd made a good choice. Harold was a safe date to take; I thought he was one of James' good acquaintances even for being one year older.

Peter reluctantly followed James and so did Sirius after a good ten minutes of standing next to me, perplexed about what had just happened.

Remus, nevertheless, stood by side and I looked up at him innocently "Should I be worried?"

The boy raised his shoulders and let out a sigh as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

* * *

><p>That night it wasn't hard to sneak away from the boys and resume my weekly detentions. None of them were quite clear on why they were acting so awkward and weird around me. I wasn't sure of if it had to do directly with what I'd said and done; I was only trying to have a proper date to the Winter Ball like any other normal girl.<p>

I spotted Regulus strolling down the hall- his green and silver tie jumped off his black and grey attire.

"Hey" I was dying to know if he'd found a date or if he was going at all even though our detentions were mostly quiet and we never divulged the details of our lives in front of each other.

I had contemplated at first to just go with my gut and just ask him, but I backed out in the last minute; thinking of what my brother and friends would have taken it and above everything else, rejection.

He glanced over at me and opened the dungeon door "Eli"

Regulus, although he'd opened up slightly in front of me, was still very guarded and seemed like the kind of guy who was too preoccupied to waste his time with crushes and girls. He probably had more pressing and important matters to intend to.

"Did hear about the party?" I asked as we systematically made our way to the cabinet and pulled out our assignment.

Randletop was so accustom to our detention that most meetings he only acknowledged us with a sleepy nod and either retired to his bed or graded essays and tests in his office.

Regulus indifferently shrugged "I did."

"Aren't you excited?"

He met my eyes in a sudden haste with an annoyed look "Hardly…-"

"-Regulus" I made a face, "You were ranked first in our grade, aren't you happy?..."

The boy snapped out of his façade and I thought for moment that he might have thought I was talking about something else.

"…Slughorn's list is already up for next year in his classroom…" I continued and Regulus immediately found himself silent "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Nothing" he didn't answer any of my questions and just left it at that with a somewhat embarrassed tone.

We finally came to our seats and begun to start our work. I knew if I did press him, even if we were talking about his achievement, he'd just ignore me the whole night or pester me to my wits end.

The two of sat for the next half hour exuberantly into our work. I suppose only because none of us wanted to stumble on the idea of the Winter Ball tomorrow night. We pretended that each word we were copying into the new booklet was as if we'd written the book, ourselves; it was ridiculous. The obnoxious and harsh scratches on our parchments drew me mad, but I knew well not to satisfy him and let him know it got to me.

"It's midnight"

I jerked at his sudden comment, looking up and over to the grandfather clock strike twelve and sing an unpleasant and mechanical tune.

"That can't be right" my eyebrows knitted together and I quickly set my quill down to roll up my sleeve to check my watch "we couldn't have stayed almost an hour over" Indeed it was twelve a.m.

I rubbed my face in frustration, catching a yawn as I did so "I don't want to go to class tomorrow"

"At least History of Magic is canceled in the morning" Regulus picked up his lot of books and then mine. "…Professor Binns is helping Professor McGonagall prep for the Ball tomorrow"

"Really?" How come I hadn't heard about this? "Are all classes canceled then?"

He stowed away the books and I remained seated, looking over to the slightly open door of Randletop's office. The candle lights had burnt out and I could hear his faint snore.

"It might as well be. I don't think any of the teachers have anything too significant planned"

"Thank you, Merlin" I stretched up towards the ceiling and then slowly stood up.

"I assume you're going to the Ball"

I nodded my head "You?"

I couldn't find the concentration to focus directly on him. The way Regulus had straightened his posture and then directed his attention to me suddenly created a silent tension between us. I couldn't keep calm and act casual as he did when he talked to me; instead, I was anxious to know if he was going and then who with. In a section of my heart I sort of wished he was about to ask me to go with him.

"I'm going with Lesley" he smiled… no grinned with a hint of tease. He was mocking me, but not playfully.

He wanted to see my reaction and I would have given him the satisfaction because I suddenly felt very broken, yet, nevertheless I bravely held it all in. "Oh..." was all I could bring my self to. I didn't think he liked her that way or even had time for such things. Lesley always went with Parkinson to events like this; she was nearly obsessed with him so what made her go with Regulus?

I immediately looked down at my books on the table, making a motion to retrieve them so I could escape Regulus' evil smirk "I thought you were too 'cool' to go dances"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

I couldn't believe I had said that out loud. "Just…I thought you weren't going"

He crossed his arms and let out a chuckle but that sort of chortle which was belittling. "Haven't I proved you wrong?"

I suddenly got angry at his laugh and found myself itching to beat his arm.

"What's wrong?" he snickered and I eventually did try to beat his arm but he caught my wrist and held it tightly.

I tried to wiggle it free but it didn't budge; if anything, he pulled me closer to him to intimidate me. I gave up on my hand and met his stern eyes with a glare of my own.

"Who are you going with?"

A dark grin curved the corners of my lips, a thought occurring "Sirius"

There wasn't an abrupt change to his face as I had anticipated, but I did notice a lax in his grip around my wrist.

"What's the matter?" I jibed only because it felt good to throw all that anger and dragon dung he'd thrown over to me, back to him.

I was inches away from his face but I couldn't sense any sort of waver in his callous features. "I'll see you tomorrow then" he growled back with heavy breath that caused my skin to tingle on my face.

I yanked one last time for my hand and this time he let go; the extra force I'd given caused my wrist to sting in pain. Regulus, turned his back to me, grabbed his books and headed for the door.

"Yeah, see you" I shot out but he could not have cared less.


	11. Year IV Part VI

The next day rolled by in a foreboding manner. Clouds were low and grey and the ground- a grimy, wet mixture of mud and snow from the heavy rain last night.

"No, no! I think the hall would look best with the ceiling" Professor Flitwick gestured up at the open sky and the gloomy greenish-gray clouds.

Students from Slughorn's Advanced Potions class and Flitwick's fourth year Charms lay about the hall in lazy fashion on the two remaining benches positioned on the opposite sides of the room either slowly helping decorate or lounging around. The house tables had magically disappeared; tall and full bodied evergreen trees were being grown around the room, and the walls had transformed from their usual dark wood dress to an ornately sculpted gold and painted one as if out of the St. Peter's Basilica.

Slughorn nodded to the short man and pointed his wand towards the sky and the usual Great Hall ceiling appeared.

"No, no, something more elegant" Flitwick sang, "something relevant to the Theme!"

The heavy man nodded smugly as if he understood but then shook his head and leaned over to the Flitwick. "And my good man,… what would that be?"

Flitwick let out a high pitched growl and waved him away.

"I like the concept" Lily and Remus stood near one of the large trees and levitated golden ornaments with their wands and hooked them on individual branches. "It's different"

I simply nodded at Lily's cheery comment.

I was seated on the edge of the bench near the two, among the few students who hurriedly walking about me, helping the Professors decorate.

"I would have liked some snow though" Remus commented, pulling out another orb of gold from the box of decorations I was holding on my lap. "But I don't mind the Evergreen and Gold idea"

I was too preoccupied in watching Regulus from across the room, near Slughorn. He was helping his House Head by holding a box full of garland which seemed to never-endingly slithered out of it.

I was both sad and angry at how rude he'd treated me last night. I hated knowing that he was going with someone else and how he wasn't even looking at me—even now…

I gritted my teeth, gripping the corners of the box. Is he so great and I so little that he couldn't even dare to glance my way?

"Eli"

The garland finally finished and Slughorn patted his back with a thanks. Regulus let out an entirely fake tiny smile which almost immediately morphed into his usual indifferent façade once he set the box down and flipped his dark bangs away from his face.  
>For a split second his eyes jerked towards mine<br>He's looking at me?  
>"Elise?"<br>A melancholic grimace grew on my lips. He's looking at me!  
>"Eli?"<br>I wanted to bury my face in my box "what?"  
>Lily's hands dropped to her sides and Remus made a face towards me and then tried to follow my gaze.<br>I scrambled out of my thoughts and confused Remus with a last minute glance towards Holly and Al who were across the room with their own tree.  
>"We're out of ornaments" Lily spoke sweetly but there was still a hint of concern to it<br>"I'll get some more" I hoped off my seat with the empty box trying to pretend I never saw the alarming looks Lily and Remus gave each other: Remus had no answer for Lily who wanted to know what was going on.  
>I walked across the room to my far right corner, near the entryway, where the stacks of decorations stood. All the while, I tried not looking over to Regulus who was only feet away from them with a few of his Slytherin friends.<br>I silently let go of the empty carton on the floor and searched for another box full of ornaments and gold trinkets.  
>"Having a little trouble Potter?"<br>There were multiple muffled belittling and condescending sneers coming from the bench.  
>I looked over and locked eyes with the Avery Jr., a Slytherin student from Remus and Lily's Advanced Potions class. He sat with his elbows on his knees with other Slytherin kids around him; Parkinson, Serverus, Mulciber Jr., Lesley, and especially Regulus from my class.<br>For a moment my eyes fluttered to his direction but I only received that same callous look- I sort of felt taken aback even though I shouldn't have.  
>"What's the matter? You deaf or something?"<br>I found my box and picked it up, silently.  
>"ay?" Lesley barked while the others laughed with her.<br>Avery didn't seem to be laughing; instead, he raised his hand as if to signal for them to stop acting so childish. He jumped off his seat and stood up straight, nearing me by the boxes. "I'll teach her to listen to me when I talk"  
>There grew a wicked half smirk on his lips as I realized his one hand nearing his pocket for his wand and how close he was getting.<br>For a moment I forgot all my frustration and anger with Regulus and desperately met his eyes. I waited for him to do something, save me again like he always seemed to do from his friends.  
>There was a waver to his stolid face but then he hunched over looking away from me.<p>

I clicked my tongue, bewildered, and started to reach for my own wand but just as Avery only stood mere inches away from my face, I heard Al's roaring yell.

"What's with ya? Live her alone!" the brunette had let go of his concentration on his ornament and started to stomp his way towards us. Holly quickly caught the glass ball and followed suit behind Al.

Most students around us had chosen to ignore what was going on in fear of Avery and his band of Slytherins and miraculously, with all the chaos of decorating, the two professors had not noticed anything. Nevertheleless, Lily and Remus-who always seemed to keep a protective watch on me-had and also started to hastily near us.

"She hasn't done anything to you" It was odd to hear Lily so stern, it didn't seem to fit with her dainty and charming voice at all.

"Hasn't your filthy Muggle mother taught you not to interrupt when two people are talking?" his face was mocking and Lily's dark "You filthy mudblood" He spit venom from his mouth

I instantly pulled out my wand, pointing it to his face. "Enough…" I snarled at him and immediately saw horror flash across his face before it faded away into a smug grin. "You bloody devil…I ought to-"

Avery, then, grew irritated and was about to utter something but at that moment Slughorn and Flitwick had shouted dismissal. A rush of students started to run out of the hall and amidst the bustle, Slughorn had seemed to eye all of us but then chose to ignore it when, in seconds, the group of Slytherins scattered.

Flitwick's next Charms class of third years and Slughorn's Regular Sixth year Potions class which contained Sirius, Peter and James started to pour in.

Avery was the last to leave amongst us, "You aren't safe just yet." He sneered and then rolled past my shoulders; snickering a last whisperer "We will rise and wipe out filthy traitors and…" he his eyes glanced over at Lily who met them with a piercing glare " …mudbloods….wait"

I wanted to punch him for coming up to close to my face but in my peripherals I noticed James, Sirius and Peter walk in with amused and joyful faces which almost at once fell once their eyes lay upon all our dark faces.

Regulus had already gone away and then we were all left bewildered and angry. "Come on" Holly tugged on my shoulder, trying to make me let go but it was hard, especially when I noticed Lily was brimming with tears. She did boldly try to contain them, however, up until she realized James has walked in the room.

There wasn't any time for me to comfort Lily- James could have done that—and explain to the other four what had exactly happened; I simply left them with a blank face, trying to hide my own pain and frustration.

* * *

><p>I was wrong to think the deep partition amongst those who followed the dark lord and those who didn't had been momentarily overshadowed by the Ball, when, in fact, the fine line was thicker than ever. And that tension which was created by it, I hated so much.<p>

I found myself angrily trying to zip my dress up to the point that I was about to almost yank the puller out of its place.

"Hey, are you ready yet? Harold's waiting …," Holly walked into my fit and immediately ran to my aid once she noticed my frustrated tugs on my zipper.

I let out a defeated sigh but that didn't uncoil the spring inside of me. "Please help" I almost whined.

"it's stuck" she grabbed the extra emerald green lace clothe which had caught onto the zipper and calmly pulled it down to loosen it and then aligned the seams perfectly to pull it back up and finish the deal.

I was amazed at how relaxed and calm she was—it was almost unnerving.

"Chill out, it's our first winter ball, you should be excited"

Her smile was too pleasant and at the moment I felt jealous of her yet also indifferent towards tonight's ball. I suddenly felt like not going at all and just spending my night at the common room catching up with some reading.

"I am" I lied and she didn't buy it for a second.

Holly rolled her eyes and pulled at my arm taking me downstairs with her into the common room.

Near Rowena's statue stood Harold, a far right from Bradley. He was smartly dressed in his dress robes and his hair roughly slicked back in stylish manner. He WAS the seemingly perfect date.

His tired expression immediately lit up once his eyes fell on me.

I subconsciously started to pull on my sleeves even if I had none, and smooth the silky chiffon green cloth which cascaded down from the where the lace top stopped at my waist.

"You look really nice" he commented.

Bradley smiled at me before leaving with Holly and I directed my attention back to Harold once I heard his voice.

I let out a tightlipped smile "thanks"

He threw his arm over my shoulder and we walked silently towards the great hall. Well, I was the one who was mostly silent. Harold continually gestured hellos and chatted shortly with other students making their way towards the ball while I thought of ways to make it seem like I was with Sirius while still faithfully staying with Harold.

"Eli!" my thoughts immediately disappeared once we finally arrived near the gates. In a huddle, stood James and Lily, Remus with Dorcas Meadows, Sirius, Alice and Frank, and Peter.

Lily had gently waved over to me, tugging out of James hold of her around her waist to come up to me.

"Hey, Lil" the red head wore an elegant and simple half-sleeved lavender dress. It seemed like she'd gotten over the debacle from earlier today and was ready to just have a good time.

"Do you want to join our table?" Lily looked over towards Harold to seem as if she was also asking him when in fact she was actually just asking me. "We're all about to go in, and…."

"Would you mind?" I knew Harold probably want to sit with his friends; after all, he was older than all of us. He probably didn't want to waste his time with the lot of my friends

I saw a certain something in his face but he just nodded silently; almost with a restrained smile. I'd later discover why his lips were so pressed and face blank as we walked into the grand hall.

For a moment I'd forgotten all about my doubts and marveled at the cheerful atmosphere of the ball. Flitwick was busy orchestrating the band, Professor Slughorn and Randletop stood together watching- the Slug smiling at the children's joy and Randletop indifferently scrutinizing the students to make sure every student was abiding by the dress code. Professor McGonagall was laughing with Dumbledore-the headmaster's hearty laugh was uplifting. Holly, Bradley and Al were having a good time dancing while Greg and Patricia were joyfully watching with glasses of punch in their hands near one of the decorated evergreens.

Everything was beautiful and Flitwick and Slughorn's decorating had paid off.

Harold tapped my shoulder, tearing me away from the delight I got from watching everyone just having a fun time. "It's not like it matters, but I was hoping to spend some time with my friends, as well"

If it didn't matter, why was he bringing it up?

"Oh…" I let out, somewhat distracted from all the music, laughter and chatter and the two of us lagging behind Remus and Dorcas joining the others at the table. "I mean we could…" I looked over to James who just gave me a blank face, looking away quickly. I didn't know if the look was out of disappointment or defeat.

I smiled apologetically at him even though I was sure he didn't bother to look at me for he knew what I was about to say "I'll just meet up with you guys later?...Alright?" I almost rambled because I didn't want to leave any of them.

They let me go and I slowly joined Harold. I sat with him with his older, seventh year friends. None of them noticed my presence let alone tried to strike a conversation with me. I simply sat silently, trying to scope out Regulus, but in end, my eyes would always linger towards my friends. James and Lily were dancing to the new band Flitwick had introduced-nearly three to four hours into the event-which was more appealing to our generation. Sirius had eventually found Emmeline and was closely sweet talking her but from the corner of my eye I saw Emme wasn't really buying his whole seemingly smooth act; if anything, she kept pushing him away to play with him. Frank and Alice kept talking to Peter at the table and Remus and Dorcas were off with some of other of their friends from their year.

Eventually, however, when our table started to empty to the dance floor, Harold asked me to dance with him. It was fun at first, but then it simply got boring with same upbeat songs which didn't lag into slow ones until Harold had pulled me aside with some of his other friends.

One of his friends, a dirty blonde seventh year Hufflepuff pulled out a silver bottle from the inner pocket of his robe. I was baffled but contained my astonishment inside. It wasn't like I didn't know kids always sneaked in alcohol during the ball but I just never thought Harold would be one of those kids and nor did I think I'd also become a part of it.

The punch was shielded with some sort of charm which would repeal alcohol, so I didn't see where their plan was going.

They took a quick swing.

Oh so just straight up, I suppose.

"Did you want some?"

I think it was time for me to find Sirius. Even if I hadn't spotted Regulus just yet, I didn't want to end up letting my guard down and seem like a liar to him even if I was lying... Besides, I didn't want to end up getting caught drunk, let alone actually drink.

I shook my head.

"You sure?" he looked up at me and so did some of his friends and I just shook my head.

The song was changing into something slow and mellow and most couples were emerging on the dance floor and it was then when I spotted Regulus. He was with Lesley, her arms around his neck, and although I was almost sure I saw an indifferent face as he swayed with her, I was irked.

"Maybe later" I waved the bottle he was handing me away, pulling my gaze away from the two. "I'm going to go find Holly, alright" I trailed off but it didn't matter because Harold didn't care for he'd reentered a conversation with one of his seventh year friends.

I walked off slowly, searching for Sirius while often peering back towards Regulus' direction. He was dressed in dashing dress robes with that signature Slytherin color of green and silver pinstripe in his bowtie. His dark hair was roughly combed which was almost reminiscent of Sirius yet, he was put together well and almost professionally. He smoldered…. I hated him.

He hadn't noticed me just yet so I continued my search for Sirius. I found him sitting lonely on his table; Emmeline was gone and he was drinking punch with a hunched back.

I instantly smiled at his sleepy expression and crossed my arms. "Hey, Sirius"

His eyes jerked up towards me as if a dog's ears would when it'd hear something. "Eli"

I took the chair next to him, watching him with a grin and he immediately made a funny face, trying to keep in a smile or laugh. "What is it? I told you I wouldn't take you back. I'm too good for you"

"Your ego never fails to shrink" I lightly nudged his arm to which we settled into a smug silence afterward.

We watched the crowd slowly swinging to the singer's hushed voice. He sang about his missing lover who'd disappeared into the lake but the lyrics didn't matter as much as the band playing behind him did; because it was beautifully sweet and lulling.

"Would like to dance with me?" I kept starring at everyone, my eyes getting a little heavy.

He straightened his back and watched me carefully "What for-"

"I just need someone …" I whispered "…to talk to" I raised my shoulders towards the end and met his eyes.

He didn't question me and nor did he refute with the possible solution of just talking at the table and so we made our way towards the rest of the crowd.

Sirius loosely gripped one of my hands while placing his other hand around the small of my back. He smiled and I immediately laughed, softly pushing him away because it felt too awkward.

"Here…" I just hugged my arms loosely around his neck and he instinctively rested his arms around my waist. We swung around for a while; I watched him and then the other couples and friends around us and then the collar of Sirius's shirt before coming back to his face again.

"Is Harold treating you right?"

I sighed, shrugging to indicate to him I didn't want to talk about him right now.

"Alright then..."

"No, I mean—"

"—Something else is on your mind?" his eyebrows rose slightly.

The band finished with that first song before immediately diving into a slow tempoed score because the singer was taking a little break.

I didn't know how to ask for his advice because, honestly, I didn't want him knowing about this annoying tension I had with Regulus.

"I'm just frustrated …" I started with a murmur "with…with…." I buried my head into his shoulder closing my eyes trying to pin point how I could make this seem logical to him "…I don't know… how everything is …. "

"_meh_" Sirius chuckled out his impression of how he could best describe what I was trying to say.

Sure… let's go with that "yeah, _meh_" I copied him, picking up my head and now resting my chin on his shoulder while I watched a couple behind him before my eyes moved on to James and Lily, "_Meh_ is just so irritating and yet I feel that without this _meh _in my life,everything would be odd…"

Sirius was silent and I could tell he was confused.

I peered up to his ear trying to get a look of him but I let it go, letting the boy digest what'd told him while I slipped my eyes back out towards the others.

The singer was back on and this time he sang tenderly about some other lover who quiet didn't acknowledge he even existed.

* * *

><p>My eyes dazedly roamed about the hall and then, quiet out of my surprise I found my eyes latched with Regulus'. Even if it was for a moment, I'd made me jump, so much so, I'd quickly removed my head from Sirius' shoulder.<p>

"What's the matter?" he looked down at me and I had a feeling Sirius had thought I'd almost fallen asleep on his shoulder.

I watched Regulus; he was suddenly out of Lesley's grasp and discretely talking in harsh gestures with her before, altogether, swiftly heading towards the evergreens.

"Eli?"

No, it was the entrance to the hall, he was walking towards.

"Um, oh, nothing" I patted Sirius' shoulder with a 'thanks' "I think Harold's looking for me…." My voice trailed off as my eyes followed the boy, intently.

He seemed hurt? Maybe… I saw something in his eyes which just then reminded me of how angry and utterly broken I felt when he hadn't acknowledged me this morning.

I slowly let go of Sirius' shoulder and stalked off towards Regulus' direction. My movements were awkward and I kept knocking into other couples- the chaos I was creating amidst the sad, dreamy music was enough to generate a scene. But I could not have cared less, because to me, while my mind raced a mile a minute, it seemed normal.

I made it out of the crowd and towards the empty back lot of the hall where a few scattered couples and friends who bothered to stay were loitering. Remus casually leaned on one side of the wall talking with James and Lily who were now finished with their dance; I quickly hurried off before they could spot me into the outside hall. The temperature grew cold from the light flurries which had probably started a few hours ago and the music from the hall faded with each step I took towards the courtyard. A few students lay around the shadows of the corridor and most didn't acknowledge me as long as I didn't acknowledge them.

"Eli"

I shuddered from the cold and crossed my arms. "Harold?" I, then, narrowed my eyes to get a better look at the figure near the ledge of one of the windows. He was with three other of his friends who seemed a little off… They walked off with loud laughter and chatter once Harold waved them away and stepped closer to me.

"Hey" he breathed heavy and I instantly grimaced from the smell of his breath.

"What's wrong with you" I whispered, holding his collar and then fixing his bow tie- a little weary of the fact that Randletop might be lurking around.

Harold seemed tired, lazy and maybe even a little irritated. "Nothing" he shrugged carelessly and I let go of his tie, not knowing where to go from there. I certainly didn't want to take him back into the hall as drunken as he was and nor did I really want to spend any more time with him.

"Haven't seen you around much" he commented and I looked at him a little sheepishly before looking down at my shoes.

"Why is it I feel as if Sirius might have been your date?"

My expression drew a little blank for the question seemed to sudden and unexpected "Where'd you hear this from?" I raised my head and watched him shrug once again while rubbing his chin about to chuckle as if he couldn't believe any of it.

"Well, were you?"

"No…I mean…" I crossed my arms again. Why did it matter in the first place? It wasn't as if we were committed to each other.

His hazel eyes grew dark and intense and I finished my sentence "No"

My voice wasn't as stately and firm as I'd wanted it to and because of that Harold's eyes narrowed into slits. "You're lying"

I didn't retort and with that he grew aggravated "I knew I shouldn't have asked you…" I looked away from him "…you're such a tease…."

My eyes grew wide from his last words which he'd muttered under his breath and I started to walk off because I honestly didn't want to deal with what else he might have to say about me.

And yet, Harold suddenly grabbed my wrist and forcefully spun me around. "Listen to me; I did you a favor—" his eyes glowered, his other hand catching the rim of my neckline.

"—No, asking a girl out because you think she might be easy, isn't a favor"

He was selfish, running his tongue about how I didn't act like a good date when I'd clearly done everything he'd wanted to do… everything his friends wanted to do. It was different if he thought I wasn't easy.

"Okay then, I've figured you out "he swiveled his finger in a lose fashion, yet his voice was tight and harsh. "You're been jumping around "

"Excuse me" I stared at him incredulously to which he responded with a drunken, matter-of-factly smile

"He's my friend" I tried to yank myself out of his hold once Id' realized he was referring back to Sirius "and it's not like we're dating or anything"

He let out a sigh, as if he were about to laugh. "You're such a…"

Our eyes met and I saw lustful frustration in them. At that moment I pulled harder on my collar for him to let go "A what?" my voice shook because I felt fear rising in my chest. That spring inside of me was tightening beyond its limits and that tension made my eyes water… I think I was crying.

"A tart"

I was crying.

"Don't tell me your 'friends', Sirius and all of the others really just hang around you without…"

My face grew hot; I felt his fingers trying to slip under my collar. I immediate froze for a moment before picking up my dignity and slapping him to make him stop. I wanted to reach for my wand which I'd tucked behind the zipper of my dress but even if Harold had let me go for a moment he quickly regained his composure not letting me do so if I wanted to keep an eye on him.

I did, however, jump back feeling as if he'd come after me.

"Who's there?"

Our eyes flashed down the hall towards what seemed like Randletop's voice. His steps quickened in pace but Harold didn't care and his gaze met mine again with an intense anger but I wasn't sure what had happened once his eyes fell on me, for that anger slowly melted into something sort of a pity.

Though, I didn't care much for it, because I took a run for it, not really wanting Randletop finding us here like this. I wiped at my eyes and hastily walked past a few hot and heavy couples in the dimly lit corridor who'd suddenly heard Randletop's wailing and scattered. There were a few students frightened by the sudden noise and few others who were slowly pouring out of the hall looked over at me with concern.

"No wait!"

I had jinxed everything. How on earth did I end up exactly getting the sort of date Sirius and James warned me about and yet ending up as Sirius' date, according to Harold.

"No please, Elise. I didn't mean to, honest."

Eventually, after almost slipping on the frozen snow, I made it to the long stairway to the boat house and started to run down but my plan into disappearing into the shadows of the dark stairway was diminished once I felt a strong hand grasp my arm.

I was sure the clanks of my heel down the steps had given me away.

"Please just leave me alone!"

His once handsome features were now horrifying to me. He was perceived to be such a bright and brilliant student of Ravenclaw but his behavior was so vulgar and nothing at all to what I thought he might have been like.

"Eli, please" under the dim light of the nearby lamp post he had seemed to smile. But it sure wasn't out of genuine guilt, but of his fear of consequence. He probably though I was going to tell a professor or worse, spread the truth about Harold around the students.

When he tried to grab my wrist again, I knocked his hand away.

"Didn't you hear the girl the first time?"

My heart leaped; from the shadows behind me, appeared Regulus with a steady wand aimed at Harold. I'd caught on the lamp post to stable myself but I was still shaking from the fright his sudden voice had inflicted. I stared at his side view, watching his intense, dark eyes on Harold. It was astonishing how Regulus had no regard for Harold's reputation or the advantages he had of being a seventh year and him being a mere fourth year.

Harold's jaw clenched as I slowly drew out my own wand for my defense. He had nothing to say for he was at a disadvantage; if he were a Gryffindor, perhaps, he might have taken on the challenge of two again one, but he was logical and smart and considered the factors: Regulus was a Black… and a Slytherin, Randletop wasn't too far from them and a few students were already sensing something was up. He'd rather just walk away and so he did—giving me a last stare before he did so.

"Every time…."

I rested a hand on my chest, trying to relieve the constant thumps, and started to stow away my wand.

Regulus lowered his wand and fixed his coat before fixating his eyes on me "…every time we met, you always seem to be in some sort of a trouble"

I let out a faint chuckle before remembering back to why I had left the hall in the first place. We grew silent because I felt Regulus, too, had suddenly remembered his grudge against me. While I stood silently, returning to fixing my windswept hair, the boy started to walk back down the stairs.

"Was he you're real date then?" he disappeared into the dark parts of the stairwell where the lamps were too weak to reach and I followed.

"Why would you think that? I told you who I came with"

With an aloof tone, he stated why he believed so by strictly providing facts he'd observed, especially from what he'd just seen now.

I grew livid from how he played me to be such a foolish and pitiful girl. "What were you trying to prove to me?"

His words echoed in my head and I did suddenly realize how selfish and utterly foolish I had acted. I'd deserved the way Harold had treated me; I lead on a boy while I full well knew I didn't seem to see much in us being together. While I played with his interest in me to further my reputation, I also misused my dearest friend in order to make Regulus jealous.

I walked off the last step to the boat house and watched the back of Regulus' head before my eyes hooked on the docked row boat which was frozen in place in the icy black water.

"I was trying to teach you pain" I let out and, from my peripherals, watched Regulus stop his step.

"Why would you think that would bring me pain?"

"I saw it" he soon slightly turned to meet my eyes and I remembered how he'd met them earlier just a few moments ago "…in you're eyes just then when you walked out of the hall"

Regulus eyes returned to their normal dark façade and with that arrogant and sarcastic tone of his, he continued "Well then thank you Miss Potter, You've made me a better person by doing so"

"Lesley wasn't your real date either, was she?"

He tensed up suddenly but shrugged it off by shoving his hands in his pockets "Why do you insist on pushing my buttons? Hm? You like annoying me?" he drew closer "Always following me around like a dog—I never asked you to tag along with me"

I felt offended and slightly humiliated, maybe because it was true that I seemed to like following him, but that didn't debunk the fact that Regulus, too, had a habit of stumbling into my life uninvited "I never!" I fought, nevertheless, to keep my pride in tact "I never asked you to help me-that time in the hall, for my brother, today!" I shouted in return until he found himself silent.

When I didn't find him answering me, I walked towards him "You aren't emotionless Regulus! You act so brooding and aloof to prove what, exactly?" his brows furrowed and so did mine. I watched his features ferociously, trying to understand and decipher what it was he was trying so hard to guard and hide "And, pray tell, why you would think my generous behavior would come across as desperate?"

He had no where else to look; whenever he'd try to avoid my eyes he'd linger over to them again with an innocent glow to them. It was slightly innerving for I'd never seen him so soft and silent because he had nothing to say in response. His head moved an inch closer—a little too close to mine; he was struggling with his words in his throat, as if he was trying to stop himself from what he truly wanted to say.

I'd never get the chance to know, however. Even though we were so engrossed in each other, once he'd heard a scream from the top of the cliff, from the courtyard we'd made it a point to know what had happened only because it gave us an excuse to avoid the direction this conversation was taking.

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><p><em>It's been a long time hasn't it? Sorry for the delay with this chapter, my schedule's been quite busy lately and it didn't help that this chapter was long... Hope you all enjoyed it! Please review! =) I love reading them, really. <em>


	12. Year IV Part VII

I couldn't quite tell what had taken over us—maybe this certain fear that a scream like that could have been from a friend— but we'd quickly climbed up the stone stairwell. Once we'd reached the arched entryway, my lungs were winded and my eyes blurred a bit out of exhaustion and the sudden change of the light from the dark boathouse to the fairly lit courtyard.

I'd lightly bumped into Regulus because he'd held one arm back to hold one of my shoulders. "What is it?" I was panting and large puffs were forming around my mouth from the cold.

The boy was silent, only starring out towards the direction of the figure that stood near one of the lamp posts. I wanted to figure out who it was but my eyes had immediately caught onto the other figure on the floor. My stomach twisted; there, on the snowy floor, was an unconscious girl; her face horror stricken and her eyes were wide with terror.

I knew this girl, she was from James' year, I think, possibly, one of Lily's friends… Mary, Mary MacDonald.

"What have you done?" I couldn't help mutter through my covered mouth at the figure who'd quickly escaped from the scene, but before they had, they'd ran under the dim light of the lamp post to reveal themselves to me.

"Mu-"

"Murderer!" suddenly a crowd had started to form and a girl from my year had pointed out to Regulus, screaming, interrupting me.

I grasped Regulus' shoulder, pushing him away to my side. "No, he didn't do anything. It was-" Regulus grasped my shoulder tighter, making me stop "… it was—" I tried to make her understand but there was just too many other students walking into the scene for me stop the rumors that were quickly spreading.

"Step aside!" the sea of students parted for Randletop and McGonagall. Spout surfaced as well and quickly took a hold of Mary. I watched the professor from the corner of my eye telling McGonagall that she was still alive but my attention was grabbed by my brother, Lily and the others making their way to the front of the crowd of students.

"Eli?" my brother mouthed astonished trying to understand what was going on.

"Where are the prefects?" McGonagall, in her initiative manner, waved for the four prefects "Where are they?"

In all the commotion and chaos, Dumbledore had appeared and stood tall, finishing McGonagall's order to escort the students back to their dormitories. He'd silenced the space instantly and, forced every one to avert their eyes and go about regular business.

Reluctantly, they'd started to file out and I wanted to leave as well when I noticed Regulus starting to head with his house but Randletop had quickly halted us. "You two!"

Behind the professor I saw McGonagall and Slughorn helping Sprout carry Mary inside.

"I thought my detentions would have-" he whispered harshly, waving a firm finger to us but Dumbledore had strolled up beside me "I will handle the students, Ocot, please assist Pomona, if you can"

Randletop's eyes which had been piercing the flesh on our faces had quickly darted away and he sighed, nodding to the Headmaster's request.

"Headmaster, Regulus didn't do it," I tried to watch the old man's eyes but they were focused elsewhere as he slowly raised his hand to stop me "No, no. I am not labeling you two as the suspects, but I'd like a word with the two of you in my office, perhaps?" his blue eyes finally met with Regulus' before he'd looked away silently to mine, to which I twitched in the inside because of how uncommonly honest yet questioning they were.

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><p>I was worried about my brother and the others; I was afraid of how all of them had perceived the scene: with my appearance such a mess and the two of us standing over Mary's unconscious form.<br>"Had you two seen anything?"  
>Dumbledore stood aside his desk, gingerly touching one of the gilded figurines with one hand had while the other was tucked behind his back.<br>Regulus and I watched our headmaster turning his back to us as he moved onto the bookcase behind his desk  
>"I..." I looked over at Regulus, who'd slowly met my gaze. He was hiding the fact that he, too, knew who had cursed Mary. I wasn't an idiot, it was clear from his face he'd also seen who had passed underneath the lamp post and he didn't want me, either, to blurt out who we'd saw.<br>Dumbledore had caught the lingering hesitance in my voice.  
>"Yes, Miss Potter?"<br>I tore my eyes away from Regulus to Dumbledore "I-I mean we'd stumbled upon the scene like any other student after that cry. We just happened to be the first to respond"  
>"I see" he uttered and I nodded to him while he finally turned to face the two of us<br>Regulus accidentally knocked his hand to mine which made me, in response to Dumbledore, awkwardly grin to the headmaster. I probably seemed quit more suspicious then I already had been.  
>"Alright then" the headmaster folded both hands behind him "you may leave"<p>

I let go of the breath, nevertheless, I'd been holding. I was surprised he hadn't pressed either of us any further.

The two of us had made it over the wall lined with the portrait of the old headmasters and headmistresses, fast asleep. Regulus had gained in pace and quickly tried to leave, giving Dumbledore a chance to call out to me without him noticing.

"Elise, my dear?"

I watched the back of Regulus' dark haired head slip out of the door, without a last a glance towards me or a notice to Dumbledore.

"Yes, Headmaster?" I closed my eyes, crunching up like a ball in the inside.

I refused to turn around for a moment but then felt obligated, for it was rude to have my back to turned to the Headmaster.

"I've heard quite a lot of you from Professor Flitwick"

I wasn't expecting the smug and light hearted smile on his face when I'd turned around.

I blushed a little, "Oh…well…good news, I hope"

"Of course, of course" he nodded his head and I took a few steps closer to Dumbledore, who was, now, retiring to his chair. "I've heard your marks quite exceed above any other student in Charms"

"Professor Flitwick is an excellent professor; you should credit him for teaching me so well"

The headmaster chuckled, nodding his head almost glancing over at the sorting hat, sleeping almost near a comatose state on one of book cases. "you will be considering, I hope Head Girl for your year?"

I giggled from the flattery "There is still time for that, I need to become a Prefect before I can even consider that" I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Well then I hope you will thoughtfully consider Flitwick's offer for Prefect next year"

I looked up, excited, "Professor Flitwick, will?..." my sentence trailed because of the good news and how humbly Dumbledore was trying to make it seem that he'd accidentally slipped out this bit of information.

There was a period of settled happiness, before it had occurred to me that maybe I should confess to Dumbledore who I'd seen. I shuffled in place before just disregarding any other thoughts and going for it.

"Headmaster?"

"Yes?"

"Well you see..." I rubbed the corner of my eye only because I wanted create an excuse to look away from his overbearing gaze and presence. "I did see someone…"

I waited for him to ask another question in response but the Headmaster only silently nodded for me to continue.

"…I'm not sure really who…. I think it was a boy, Mulciber" I slightly shrugged. "Do you think it was him?"

"We cannot jump to a conclusion so hastily" he nodded and eyed me "What a person might appear on the outside to others might be quite different then what they truly are in the inside."

His response was loaded and had that quality of hitting me directly in my chest.

"Elise, there is not a great partition of good and evil on the world. We all have both qualities inside of us; it is just the path we choose to act upon which defines us"

I felt something warm in my eyes.

"…Do you understand?"

I stood there, watching Dumbledore let out a small cheery grin of hope. At times like these I always wondered if he'd ever conjured up the ability to look into one's core and extract the perfect words to advice to him or her.

I let out a faint smile; my eyes transfixed on my dirt stained and wet shoes, "Headmaster?" I spoke low.

"Yes?"

"It wasn't Regulus"

Dumbledore's face softened and he bowed his head with closed eyes. He understood and I only knew so because I saw that small grin in his lips again. "Goodnight, Miss Potter"

I nodded and started to make my way for the door" Goodnight, Professor"


	13. Year IV Part VIII

_**I've been stumbling horribly with my stories. I hope, though, this Chapter is up to par to all of your expectations. I finally got into the flow towards the end. **_

_**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and please review! x) I love it when you all do! **_

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><p>I had made it a point to visit Mary with Lily one day at the hospital wing and she was doing fine. She only remembered pieces of what had happened that night, and those few collections were just of the ball prior to her attack. I didn't mention Mulciber's name in danger of causing her any mental anxiety or strain.<p>

That same following week, the rumors of what had happened to Mary MacDonald and Regulus and I spread faster than any contagion. James was curious and frustrated about the situation mostly because he didn't quite, still, understand what had happened and I never give him a clear explanation, either.

The situation did, however, force Regulus and me to meet more often- only privately to discourage the gossip and set straight what we'd seen that day. I never told him that I'd told Dumbledore that I'd seen Mulciber and I don't think he had the slightest intimation that I'd spent an extra few minutes in his office that night after he'd left. After all, nothing had happened to Mulciber, yet—he was still parading about the castle with that smug smirk on his face.

"He's a nasty piece of work"

Regulus and I stood behind one of the columns in the corridor which proceeded to the corridor that held the great hall. I was about to stroll over for lunch but I found Regulus creeping around the area like a fox. He'd waited around to talk to me when he was sure no one was about the corridor, ducking me into an alcove among the columns.

"He's an idiot, that's what he is. No class or strategy to anything" that last part mumbled off his mouth.

We stood in front of each other, but we kept a watchful eye on our surroundings rather than each other.

"So you don't condone his actions?" I whispered lower and leaned further into the shadows when I heard a few students' far off laughter growing louder.

"I-…" I heard him sigh and stop himself from letting out what he was originally about to say.

I pulled my gaze away from the corridor for a second to find that Regulus had been staring at me for a while. It sort of reminded me of that moment when we were face to face at the boathouse, but this time, his features were softer, almost sympathetic.

One of my eyebrows rose, "yeah?"

"… You don't know what Mulciber's like" he harshly let out, speaking of the boy's name almost mutedly "I'm telling you to keep this from everyone so he doesn't come looking after me or you"

"How-"

He answered my question before I could even ask it "He clearly saw that we were the two who'd seen him. He wouldn't think twice before going after you."

"Because I'm a Potter and you're a Black" I softly let out.

He slumped his shoulders, nodding silently.

That group of students I heard before, swiftly past us, causing Regulus to jerk forward and me, to pull Regulus further away from the light. It gave us an excuse to finally leave.

"I'll see you later" he murmured and was about to step out, but I just had to ask what I'd been burning to ask since the night of the ball.

"…You never finished what you were about to say that night"

The black haired boy stopped in his step, not turning back "I've already forgotten about it"

I crossed my arms; he was lying.

Regulus looked back over his shoulder, slightly chuckling at my expression before heading out.

I clicked my tongue, walking past him into the great the hall, first.

He wasn't the top in our class for nothing. And I wasn't second in our class for nothing, either; I knew he just didn't want to admit that night that he secretly likes the attention I give him.

I looked back, but Regulus wasn't there anymore. He strolled into the great hall after a safe amount of time had passed-when I was already seated next to Lily and Sirius.

"Were you with him?"

I jumped, surfacing from my thoughts and looking up at James monstrously eating his buttered roll and then towards the door. I'd spotted Regulus first, but he was, just now, sitting with his friends at the Slytherin table. "Who?..." I looked back at my brother and he nodded at Harold walking into the great hall.

He had a dark face plastered on his expression, but he hid it well by the way he carried himself.

I was relieved that James hadn't suspected Regulus but Harold. "No" my eyes went back to Regulus who'd realized Harold had walked in and almost immediately met my gaze. I sighed, slightly shrugging to hint out to him that it was okay.

"What was that?" Sirius hovered above his seat trying to follow my eyes but James pulled him back and sternly pierced my face.

"He's been talking, you know"

"James, please" Lily suddenly felt uncomfortable and I could sense that she'd probably just nudged his foot underneath the table.

I didn't know what was going on. What was he saying? What did James think had happened?

But then again, why did it all even matter? The business was mine and no one else's.

I huffed, trying to shrug the matter away. After all, nothing had happened; I'd made that clear to Dumbledore and so I needn't explain to anyone else. "…So is everyone else"

"Elise, you don't understand" Remus stared at me, watching me pick up my goblet for a drink, a little too concerned.

"-you never explained to me, fully, what happened that night, by the way—"

"—I told you neither Regulus nor I did anything to Mary"

"Regulus?" Sirius looked at me, surprised, "I didn't know he was-"

"-He wasn't!"

"You were with him?" Peter bombarded.

"No,… I- he came when-"

"When what?" James finally raised his voice.

I set down my cup frustrated "I'm trying to tell you, can you wait!"

Lily touched my arm and then placed a hand on my shoulder "Harold's been painting you in a very negative light" she made a face which hinted out what he was probably saying.

My eyebrows furrowed. I understood her, but couldn't really believe it.

"Eli?"

I knew he had all the reason too, but I wasn't like that and Harold knew that. I was hurt and then suddenly, I felt frustrated and angry, so much so, I wanted to go over to him now and slap him just once more to knock some decency into him.

"I never did anything…" I was embarrassed, I didn't want my brother learning every detail of that night "I handled myself pretty well, I think… I mean he was pretty abrasive….okay, well, maybe not that well, because Regulus happened to help me get rid of Harold" I rambled, vaguely describing the situation.

"That bas-"

"-James" Lily cut him off

I guess my vague description was enough for James to get a whiff of the situation and grow mad.

He was starting to get up, but I jumped up from my bench, leaning over to him to stop him "No, I already put him in his place, please don't make a…" he had already turned around and walked down the hall where Harold sat at the Ravenclaw table "…scene…"

I ran after him, but stopped a few feet short after I realized Harold trying to hex my brother in his defense.

"James, please!" but the seventh year was already levitating upside down over a bowl of porridge.

"Should I?" he laughed with a certain sense of cruel amusement. His snickers growing with every cry Harold let out.

"Quit it! Before a teacher comes by!"

The hall had suddenly become a circus, with a few students running closer to get a good look of what was going. The younger students pushed me forward, trying to weasel their way to the front and the older years curiously watched as the scene unfolded.

Sirius had made his way next to me, and then stepped closer to James, coercing his friend to do it.

I looked back over to Lily who sat with crossed arms back at the table-a stern look on her face. Remus, Frank and Alice had a disapproving look on their face but knew better not to respond to the situation and so they kept their head down, continuing to eat; to them, this was all too routine. As for Peter, he was still battling if he should come closer to watch or not.

"You been spreading rumors bout' my sister? Hmmm?"

"DO IIIT!" the Prewett twins interjected, singing in unison while Fabian raised his bit of sandwich whole heartedly, chuckling with amusement and laughter. Molly, their younger, third year sister, looked away embarrassed of her brothers' enthusiasm.

"No… no!" Harold wiggled a bit and tried to point his wand at James but it slipped out of his hand and hit the floor. "Are you crazy! Let me go!"

A sly grin slithered on my brother's lips. I couldn't watch.

"Alright, then"

I turned away but I heard a thrash of silver and plates hitting the stone floor and a foul and a disgusting sound of something slimy and gooey mashing on Harold's face.

I was so humiliated, myself, that I wanted to run out of there, but it was Harold who'd scrambled to his feet, quickly whipping the gunk off his face and hollering at James that he's be sorry for what he'd done.

"Wait until the headmaster hears of this!" he tried to slick his hair back but the porridge just slathered further into his hair.

"Right, because Dumbledore with sympathizes with someone who takes advantage of others" Sirius snarled, crossing his arms.

The only thing Harold could do was growl and quickly walk out of the hall. He bumped into my shoulder in the process, almost knocking me over.

The cluster of sixth Gryffindor year girls, Emmeline, Marlene and Dorcas, caught me in time; Marlene gripped my shoulder in both sympathy and support. The girls were good friends of James and Lily and I suddenly felt embarrassed that they had just witnessed all of this.

"Thank you" I whispered almost silently and sprang to my feet, glancing over at James who was rushing his way to help me, but I just waved him away because I was humiliated and mad at how he hadn't listened to me and made such a bigger mess of everything.

"Eli….?" I saw the hopeful smile on his face- He wanted to be praised and revered for what he'd just done, but his actions were far from honorable.

I didn't answer him and silently grabbed my books, trying not to tear up. I couldn't pinpoint why I was on the verge of crying; majority of Hogwarts had just realized further of the rumors floating about me, Harold was probably going to jeopardize my good reputation thus ruin my chances as a Prefect let alone, Head Girl, and the way he'd knocked into me hurt me internally.

Quickly, I dashed out of the hall before any tears slipped out for anyone to witness.

* * *

><p>That evening, I spent my time at the library- burying myself in my books and papers in the most secluded section, between the Herbology and Magical Botanists column of books. Night grew slowly through the stained glass window at the end of the section and I knew I'd eventually have to leave for Astronomy Club. I glanced over at my watch, watching the large hand tick to the Roman numeral, IV. I had about a good forty minutes before I'd have to pack up and leave.<p>

"Herbology is fascinating, isn't it?" the sudden noise had made me jerk upright, making me almost tear the page I was holding with my other hand, rip.

There, underneath the stacks of books hovering over her heard and magically placing themselves about the shelf, stood Alice. She nodded at the "Applications of Herbology" book I was reading.

To be honest, I was just reading this book for the sake of reading. I wasn't focused on the content at all; I had just picked out a random book at this shelf to occupy my thoughts so they wouldn't run ramped with today's events.

"It's…." all the books and excerpts I'd read so far were dry and lacking in the ability of catching my interest. How interesting can plants be? Even magical ones? "…different" I finished with a small forced grin.

Reading them gave me an excuse to remain in the library, thus, avoid any contact with my brother or anyone else…. I never thought, Alice would be here this late checking out the Herbology sections.

Alice giggled, "You don't have to pretend to like it. Frank hates this stuff. He jokes that he'd rather waste his time catching up on Muggle Sports than Herbology"

"Noted: If I ever want to torture Frank, make him watch Muggle sports and read Herbology books"

She laughed at my comment and took a seat next to me, setting her books down next to mine. "I just thought, because you had the books" she returned to our original conversation, gesturing to the many Botanical books around me.

I shrugged my shoulders, looking as guilty as ever.

"I see" her eyes shifted away from me and made a face to herself, while playing with the cover of her book. "You're smart; no one usually strolls to this part of the library unless it need be necessarily…"

"Alice-"

"-Eli" she mocked with my same tone, ruffling my bangs as if I were her little sister. To her, maybe I was. "Potter… I mean, James" she corrected herself, noticing the ambiguity for she could have easily been talking about me "is James-"

I exclaimed "-he should be smart enough to know bullying someone isn't the way to solve anything at all"

She ran her finger through her pixie cut hair "He did all that for your sake…. Yeah, it might have been wrong— James is the kind of person to act now, think later—but he's… well….James" she circled back to her original argument but it was fitting.

I couldn't help but smile at her simplistic way of putting it.

James was James. He could careless about what people thought of him and carried himself with a certain liveliness about him that either drew in crowds of friends or created enemies who thought this liveliness was all too proud and arrogant. He was rash, yes, but not arrogant or proud; he had the best of intentions, always trying to do the right thing and serve justice.

I suppose, his actions today shouldn't have seemed so out of the ordinary to me….. I guess I never really realized that he carried more about what people said about me and his friends than what people actually said about him.

I peered down at my watch again, the second hand reminding me about our club meeting in a few minutes.

"Yeah, he is" I tapped my pile of books with my wand and they joined the stack in the air and dispersed amongst the library to their rightful places. "… Thanks, Alice"

She smiled, opening her book "No problem"

* * *

><p>I scurried off to the Astrology tower, fully aware that when I'd get there, our president would have my head. Raven was a punctual, prim, proper seventh year; it was widely discussed that she'd overqualified for her N.E.W.T level courses in Astrology and would eventually give Professor Sinatra a run for her job in later years.<p>

I clamored up the spiral stairs passing the secret alcove which lead to the Ravenclaw Common room and continued up onto a divergent stairwell which lead up the highest level of the Astronomy tower.

When I reached the arched doorway and stepped into the circular top of the tower overlooking the forbidden forest, I felt slight drops of rain hit my forehead. It was colder than what I'd expected the weather to be outside; my the tip of my nose and fingers were already numbing from the icy air.

"Sorry, Elise, we've decided to cancel tonight's charting"

Raven looked disheveled for once in her life, with her damp hair sticking against the nape of her neck and forehead.

I looked over her shoulder and noticed the older two members of our club quickly packing away our telescopes.

It was only drizzling slightly…."Oh… but-"

She shrugged, waving over at the two boys behind her to hurry. They quickened in pace and in no time they were following Raven past me and into the stairwell "-maybe next time, the stars will still be where they are-"

"-Technically, we're still moving-"

She threw me look, "Next week maybe, okay?" it wasn't a matter of question. It was too cold and too wet to spend the next two or three hours out here, plotting stars.

"Alright" I nodded, but she was already gone with the two boys, leaving me alone on the tower.

I looked around, not sure what to do. I was prepared to spend the next few hours here; I'd already been to the library, James and everyone else were probably, already at the Gryffindor common room and I didn't feel like bumping into Harold back at my own common room just yet.

I sighed, tugging the seams of my robes tight around myself and watching the rain getting heavier above my head and over the grounds of the castle. Everything was in hues of green and blue and the rain created this hazy gray which blended in with those existing colors. The waters of the BlackLake were coarse and roughly, thrashing against the rocky banks; the ForbiddenForest was a dark abyss and the Quidditch field was a hollow skeleton without the house drapes.

I reached the stone border of the rooftop, careful of the melting slushy snow at the corners and found myself trying to decipher the small dot I was staring at.

Near the empty arena which was a far east from the forbidden forest, flew a student on their broomstick. My thoughts instantly went to James—he'd been blabbering constantly about the upcoming Gryffindor and Slytherin match.

But as the hovering figure drew closer I immediately recognized the dark green underlay of their quidditch robe billowing in the wind.

Regulus. Somehow, I wasn't really surprised.

I released my grip on the stone ledge and instinctively started to duck behind it, but I heard a faint call from his direction. I halted, uneasily, watching the dot form into a human form before morphing into a familiar face.

"What?" I shouted back but I was sure he hadn't heard me.

Regulus, gradually, flew closer until he was suspended a good meter in front of me.

He was soaking wet; his dark hair a jet black and messy. The boy slipped off his Quidditch goggles and loosened his tight gloved grip on his broom.

"You spying one me, again?"

I made a face, but he was too busy rubbing his wet hair. "Again? I don't think I'd ever waste my time following someone like you around" I chastised him when we exchanged small grins.

"I thought you had Astronomy club"

I crossed my arms "Tell me, who's spying on who again?"

Regulus lowered his broom and loomed closer to me. "You forget I have Quidditch practice the same days you have Astronomy club, I always see kids up here while I practice"

"You practice alone?" I pointed out at the empty and dark arena before my grin grew wider "Your practice should have ended long ago"

His eyebrows rose, pointing out how I'd know this fact.

"I've never noticed players out there during club meetings, before!" I argued in my defense but my cheeks turning a deep shade of pink had given me away.

The look he gave me, forced me to look down and away in embarrassment. I held the ledge again, but this time only to support myself from the slippery snow at my feet.

"I think we're both guilty, so let's just leave it at that" the hoarseness to his voice was moving and it was a little surprising.

When I looked up, I hadn't realized how level he was with me, and how closer we'd drawn to each other. I was practically leaning over the stone ledge and he was nearly tipping forward to get a better look of me.

I tried to break out of the trance but it just wasn't happening.

"…Do you want to…?" he gestured over his shoulder instead of finishing his sentence but I didn't realize, at first, what he was talking about until he pointed to his broom.

His gesture was unexpected and kinder than usual.

I smiled, but than snapped back to memories of falling miserably on my face whenever I picked up a broom. No amount of training, even from James, could make me a decent rider, let alone quidditch player.

"I don't think you know about my history with brooms"

"I'm a first class Seeker; I think I can manage to keep you on the broom"

I threw him a look of doubt, but his genuine smile, even through his eyes, kicked the skeptic out of me. I took a heavy breath and started to carefully, step on top of the ledge. "I didn't know you were professional" I joked

His grin turned soft and his shrug made something in my chest churn.

I was crazy for agreeing to this; it was raining hard, it was cold, the ledge was slippery and still clung to its snow, and I was horrible with balancing myself on broomsticks.

Regulus maneuvered his broom to the side and let out a hand for me to grab onto.

He started to laugh at my struggle and I chuckled along; I could only imagine the faces I was making while trying to stand on the ledge.

"Come on" he leaned his hand further towards me. I immediately grabbed on tight when I mistakenly looked down.

"The Astronomy tower's the tallest tower on the castle, right" I let out half panicking and half laughing.

I could sense he was quietly laughing at my comment but continued to support my hand "Just jump. Trust me"

I closed my eyes, and just went for it.

"No, wait!"

I lifted one leg and felt the broomstick and went to jump over it, but the floor slipped underneath my other foot.

I opened my eyes wildly, letting out a yelp. My foot had slipped on the snow and I was dangling hundreds of feet above ground.

"Regulus!" I screamed, trying to hold his hand tighter, but my hands were slipping because of the wet leather gloves he wore. I tried to bring up my other hand to hold onto his one hand but I had no upper body strength at all.

"I've got you!" I could sense the panic in his face, but his voice was calm and collective.

He heaved with one hand, and stabilized the broom with the other from tipping over.

"Regulus!" I closed my eyes, again, but he shouted at me to keep them open.

"Just hold on" he pulled harder and slowly until the broom was almost at my abdomen. "Just swing one leg over"

I was shaking but I listened him carefully, doing exactly what he said. When I was properly seated I grabbed onto him, tightly.

My body was shaking. I felt like I was about to cry but instead a loud laugh escaped my lips-it was uncontrollable.

"Are you mad!"

I kept laughing, suddenly feeling exhilarated by the experience. Chuckles kept getting louder and I couldn't handle the aches in my stomach from laughing so hard.

"Who jumps off a tower with closed eyes!"

I didn't know why I was laughing so much. I had almost fallen off some hundred feet to the hard cold ground floor…..

"You said to just jump" I let out between giggles.

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing. He was quite calm for the situation, but with that I knew he was finally at ease, especially now that he knew I was safely holding on to him.

"Honestly, Eli, you're off your rocker…" he glanced back at me, and found himself smiling with my little titters. "…you're daft" he put it at that, and zoomed up higher towards the clouds.

The movement had slowly quieted me down and I clung onto Regulus' robes with a stronger grip. I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't scared, but the experience just now had woken me up and the adrenaline was oddly very thrilling.

We zipped away from the tower and towards the forbidden forest. It felt like millions of razor sharp bees were stinging my face because of the rain and so I buried my face into Regulus' hood up until the sound of rain had seized and everything finally felt calm and still.

When I resurfaced, we were up above the clouds and hovering near the large crescent moon. Far off, I heard soft thunder but it was underneath, an experience and feeling I never thought I'd ever be trying to explain.

"Is it safe to be up this high?"

The seeker instantly shot over a look when he recognized my hand trailing up to his shoulder and tightening in grip "You haven't fallen yet, have you"

"I almost did"

"That was your own doing"

"Reg-"

"- At least, I caught you didn't I?" he stopped me before anything could escalate.

I became silent and watched the side of his head—his damp hair disheveled and his clenched jaw when he closed his mouth for a pause "…I have a feeling you never thought I was actually going to fall…" I couldn't form a structured sentence without losing concentration and so my last words dazedly parted my lips.

Regulus remained mute.

Another roll of thunder went off nearby and this time it lit up the sky and clouds underneath for split second, almost blinding my eyes.

"Has Harold been giving you a hard time?" he continued afterward. I hated whenever he did this—never answering my questions and just rolling past with something else.

"I think you were at lunch today"

We continued to linger across the calm and clear night sky above. I'd occasionally look down at the gray clouds a few feet below. I'd never made it this high up ever on a broom. During summers, James or Sirius would take me on a few rides but only for a few seconds because of how I'd squirm and panic in the air. But right now, I was suspired at how at ease I was. I suppose it had to do with the atmosphere; the clouds gave me the illusion that if I did ever fall I'd fall on a bed of cotton soft pillows, the air was calm and not gusting, and when the two of us spoke our voices were low and hushed.

"I left after he was dangling upside down" the boy glanced over his shoulder my way.

I suddenly realized he must had left that hall back then because he hated knowing that James would probably execute him if he were to ever find out Regulus was spending time with me like this.

"I wish I could have left with you" I whispered, truthfully.

I felt the surprise in Regulus' tone "Your brother, he's…." he didn't finish his sentence.

"He's my brother…" I tired to encompass what he was probably attempting to explain with my own observation "they still haven't grown up, fully"

Again, Regulus didn't continue with a comment or an attempt to directly speak about what I was talking about. He was always careful with his words and I think he held his mouth shout around me to avoid talking negatively about my brother or friends. Truthfully, I didn't mind it entirely. He was being respectful and, when together, I would rather not talk about the radically different groups we belonged to.

I closed my eyes when his head turned forward.

The broom lulled around for bit after that, forcing a yawn every few seconds to escape my lips. Coupled with the soft draft about my hair and robes, the way we sat so close and yet comfortable to each other was causing my head to bob occasionally

My eyes were heavy with sleep but Regulus' noticeably softer voice grabbed my attention "Next time…"

"What?"

"You can join me next time" he circled back to my previous comment.

I couldn't see his face, but my lips curved at the ends in to a small smile as I gingerly lay my chin on his back. His robes were wet and extremely cold up her in the icy air but there was warmth emanating from his body.

"Well….if you enjoy my company that much…"

He cracked a chuckle to which my smile grew wider.

At that moment I felt Dumbledore's words starting to resonate within me and taking hold of my heart.


	14. Year IV Part IX

_**I want to thank all of you who have reviewed. I'm so glad that all of you like my story! I hope this chapter continues to impress =)**_

_**Happy Readings!**_

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><p>The Winter break was quite uneventful. I had made amends with my brother on our train ride back home, but he and Sirius did pester me a lot about how they'd been right all along. I hated it when they would especially bring up the topic in front of my mother at the table. Although she never input her thoughts into what we were talking about I had a slight feeling she knew what were talking about. Other than Christmas day, itself, when the three of us visited our neighbors for Christmas lunch and dinner, I spent most of my time in my room—either trying to catch up on my personal list of books or lost in thought of how Regulus was probably spending his Holidays.<p>

We left home only three days after New Year's Day. Leaving Godric's Hollow was always a sad occasion, but this time James and I—and even Sirius—didn't feel right leaving our mother home alone. Without our father, we didn't know how she was coping with the loss. Over the summer break she seemed fine, but only because we were around; how was she coping with an empty household?

"You'll write… right?"

Our mother smiled to the three of us, but James and Sirius were talking to Peter, who we'd found on our way to the platform.

"Every week" she nodded her head and handed me the cage with Calcifer in it.

"…I-" I lost my words but it wasn't because of the hustle and chaotic uproar of students and their families meeting up with each other, but because I was afraid of leaving our mother alone for the next long six months.

The shrill whistle to board the express tore the air and suddenly the rush grew louder and busy. But, mum stood still, watching James and I. She ruffled my bangs and kissed James on his forehead to which he openly tore away from because of the Slytherin kids who stood nearby.

I made a face to him to which he shrugged at with a sigh "We'll see you soon" defeated but comfortably, he then hugged our mother and then went about boarding the train.

"Good-bye, Mrs. Potter." Sirius chimed in and she patted Sirius on his shoulder and then hugging him tightly before letting us follow James into the train.

On the train, after taking hold of one of the compartments, I searched for mom outside. When I found her, she was already looking up at us. I smiled back to her and waved goodbye until the time the train started to jolt and then smoothly roll away from where my mother stood on the platform.

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><p>Back at Hogwarts it didn't take long for students to settle in to their schedules again. Classes started bright and early the next day and I immersed myself head-on in all the new material we were being handed. I'd decided early this year to deviate from the usual addition of two elective courses with three and now I was paying for it. On top of all my core classes' books, I was juggling Professor Trelawney loony bible on Divination, Kettleburn's monstrous "Care of Magical Creatures" textbook and all of the cryptic and student-feared Ancient Runes books down the halls. At least, all my hard work will pay off on my O. next year… I hope<p>

"Sure you don't need help with any of those?" Remus made a face as he, too, got up from the bench.

Breakfast had just ended and Lily, Alice and Remus were headed off to their year's Ancient Runes class while Peter, Frank, James and Sirius stayed behind due to this lack of electives. Even with all of their N.E.W.T level classes the four still managed to lazily meander around the castle not knowing what to do because of the lack of classes on their schedules.

"The Herbology Greenhouse is out of your way, you'll be late to class if you do" I struggled to get to my feet and keep the of the small Ancient Runes books on my pile.

They knew I was right and so they didn't detest even if they wanted to help me. "Maybe one of you lazy farts can help her!"Alicethrew her hand out to the four.

Peter was half asleep over his bowl of cereal, James and Sirius had their hands and heads sprawled on top of the table while James tried to balance his spoon on Sirius' head and Frank had a hand placed on his cheek as he yawned and tiredly turned to the next page of his book.

They hadn't heardAliceand continued with their shenanigans.

"Hey!" she yelled but James just waved her off because he was trying to place a third spoon on the top of the two that were already balanced on Sirius' head.

"Can I get up now?"

"Shhhh!" James carefully drew closer, while Sirius struggled to keep still.

"Leave them"Alice, aggravated, pulled on Lily's arm, and the two started to walk out.

"Padfoot!"

I had already turned around but I heard the clank of the spoons hitting the table and James cussing.

"Are you crazy? I didn't even move!"

"Alright, fine, fine! Just hold still, again"

Remus sighed, walking away and I followed. "It's alright, I've got it" I nodded a goodbye since my hands were all tied up and took a left while they took a right. .

I spotted Al, Bradley and Holly up ahead with their lesser stacks of books- but, nevertheless stacks—and jogged a bit to catch up with them.

"ohhh… to what do we the owe the pleasure?" Al grinned, bumping into me.

I rolled my eyes away. "Shut up, Al. I've had a lot on my plate"

"No doubt" Bradley chimed in with a half smile, hinting at theschoolofHufflepuffgirls whispering into each other's ears and occasionally glancing at me.

Al shot one a fierce look which made her pathetically and rigidly look back ahead.

"Stop it Al" I couldn't help but laugh and feel bad at the same time.

The tall brunette shrugged, "What? I'm sick of all this rubbish. Everyone knows you're innocent but they persist on talking about it. Merlin's beard, it's been nearly two months!"

"Gosh, Al, I might have thought it was you they were talking about" Holly poked.

She met my eyes and we laughed a little harder together.

I saw some color on his face "No, it's not that at all! I—I just I hate gossip" he spoke louder so the girls ahead of us could hear.

Bradley patted his back to tell him to let it go because we were already at the Greenhouse and nearly everyone had turned around to hear him.

"That's very nice Mr. Jones. Now can you please a take a seat?" Professor Sprout turned around with the rest of the class calmly motioning for Al to take his seat in front one of the large potted plants placed on the tables.

"Thanks, though" I whispered, following Bradley with a pat to Al's shoulder and walking off.

We weren't late to class but we were late enough to not have the ability to choose our seats and, not surprising at all, I'd managed to take up the seat one seat away from Regulus. The only person who stood between was Bradley who's managed to tag along with me. Al and Holly were forced to the separate and take up seats between those same Hufflepuff girls from before.

I chuckled watching Al suddenly change in his expression and wave a small Hi to the girls next him but they only made stern and rude faces and looked away.

"Alright, class!" Sprout stood between the two work benches and picked up her own pot of the same plant we all had placed in front of us.

"Today's lesson shouldn't be a surprise… Well unless you all have nearly lost everything we worked on before the break… Anyone care to guess?"

We were all silent. I detested from answering because I wasn't too fond of being our class' know-it-all.

"No?"

Someone sneezed.

Sprout made a face.

"This subject is such a…" Bradley whispered into my ear while looking back at Sprout ruffle the leaves of her plant "…drag…"

I looked up at him but my eyes caught onto Regulus on Bradley's left. Regulus wasn't looking at me nor was he paying attention to Sprout, rather, looking down at his books, bored.

"Well we're working with little Alihotsy trees today." Professor plucked one leaf of hers and then looked around hopeful, putting the leaf up towards the sunlight "Does anyone remember its magical qualities?"

"Uncontrollable Laughter and Hysteria" the Gryffindor boy, Edgar Thomas, casually pointed out next to me. It had been drilled in our heads for so long we couldn't sound any more enthusiastic about it.

"Exactly right, Mr. Thomas!" the professor excitedly set her pot down "Merlin knows how much this class needs a little laughter…"

I nudged Ed. "was that her way of poking an insult at us?"

Ed was tall, dark and handsome- the very cliché yet simple three characteristics were the only way to describe him. He was genuinely nice and humble but he had a smart sense and wit about him as well.

The boy smiled, crossing his arms while pretending to listen to Sprout "and all with a smile"

"…of course these little things won't cause hysteria. Their leaves are far too immature. Little giggles are as far as their potency can create, so I suggest, for the few daring, to just break…"

My attention was suddenly caught. We were all staring at Sprout tear the leaf in half and sniff it.

"She's not…" Ed's eyes were bugging.

"…the effects wear off with a few minutes so no need to w-woo—woooorry" and the giggles began. Her heavy form bounced with every chortle and we all couldn't help but look at each other if this was really happening or not.

"We—Welll, go on then. Have a t-ttry!"

I stared at the professor and then towards Bradley who just shrugged and went ahead with ripping off a leaf.

"One leaf at a time, children!"

"Can you overdose?" Holly called out amongst the sudden ruckus of laugher and giggles which were erupting around the room.

"No- no not with these little fellows, but I doubt any of you want to laugh into your next class" her composure was starting to regain itself but the professor did let out a few titters between her words.

The greenhouse from there on became a madhouse and everyone was laughing at everyone and everything.

I stared at my little tree wary of inhaling its scent. I looked over at Holly across the room and she was laughing hard with Al to some pathetic joke which wasn't funny to me at all.

I shrugged, tearing off a leaf and started to pull one end of it.

"Hey" someone had crept up to my ear which forced me to inhale a large whiff of the leaf.

The leaf smelled almost rosy but it had also had a distinct peppery scent. Whatever, the case, I felt the irresistible feeling of bursting out with giggles.

I tried to say hi when I noticed it was Regulus. Bradley was off near Ed and laughing up a storm and so Regulus took the liberty of taking up the seat next to mine—no one was paying enough attention to notice anyway.

My stomach constricted as I tried hard to keep myself from laughing in his face but right when I opened my mouth "H-H…haaey" I snorted and started to silently laugh before they became loud altogether.

Regulus made a face as if he were about to laugh but he just smiled at how I was making myself look like a fool. "You snort when you laugh?" he pointed with a smirk.

"Y—you don't?" I was giggling so hard my stomach was starting to ache and my eyes starting to tear. These weren't giggles, I was laughing uncontrollably!

I guess Regulus didn't take a whiff of the leaves because he was sitting still and just waiting for me to finish up my bit.

"Oh come onnn-on, you didn't e-even smell it!"

The smile he had from before slowly disappeared and he drew closer behind the plants so the kids across from our table couldn't' see us.

"I didn't want to" he let out flatly. I wasn't surprised; Regulus was a man of composure it would be out of his character to see him so joyously laughing.

I nodded my head still not able to believe that the effects hadn't subsided yet because I had a more serious matter about Mary to discuss with him.

"Mary's leaving the hospital wing today."

I'd learned from Lily, Mary had remained at Hogwarts all throughout winter break and up till' now. I guess that spell which had cursed her had been much more powerful and dark then we'd first figured. "Do you think she remembers what happened that day by now? And how about Mul-"

The boy's face grew a little darker and cut me off. He looked around before continuing "He's still around but I heard…" he tapered off until he was silent.

"Heard what?"

"Nothing"

"Tell me, what?"

"I said nothing" he glared at me but I met his glare with my own and with that the effects of the leaf had altogether vanished.

"I'm involved in this just as much as you are!"

He made a face, similar as before, to hint out that I was being too loud "We should go and talk to her… well _you_ should-to figure out what she knows"

My eyebrows knitted together "So you can shut her up?—"

"—No. So I can make sure she or you don't get hurt and make sure HE won't cause any more trouble around here"

I was silenced be his explanation but I still had this little feeling he wasn't telling me what he began to talk about before because of the consequences of possibly ratting out a fellow Slytherin.

I tucked my hair behind my ear turning back to my plant and playing with one of its leaves.

Regulus was still watching and waiting for my reply.

I sighed, shrugging my shoulder before meeting his gaze "Sure… we'll go after class"

* * *

><p>Once class was dismissed the two of us hung around the greenhouse a bit to make sure most of the students had left.<p>

I was standing up near my seat and looking around awkwardly for my books until Al and Ed came along. Holly and Bradley had already left for their Muggle Studies class.

"You coming?" the two stopped near the gate. Ed gave a glance over at Regulus who'd managed to stay behind without his friends lingering around for him.

My eyes flickered quickly to him—he was still putting his pot away.

"I have to meet up with James and Lily soon… I'll see you two later for lunch, okay?" I uncomfortably shrugged.

The two nodded and left and soon after I slowly, too, left the greenhouse waiting until Regulus would catch up. When he did, we silently walked together towards the Hospital wing. We were lucky the corridors were empty and not filled with gossiping students ready to spread any more rumors about the two of us.

"I'll stay outside" he shoved a hand in his pocket and causally looked about for any students.

"I thought-"

"— I thought what? Be smart. Mary probably won't talk to you with a Slytherin kid in her presence"

My expression scrunched up but he was right. "Alright" I went about pulling the door into the ward.

"Besides… in the event someone strolls by and…" he trailed off because he couldn't say that he just wanted to protect me.

"Mulciber, you mean?"

He whispered, his eyes narrowing at something far off "I thought I saw him"

"Don't worry, I've got this…." I felt a little defeated. I knew Regulus was doing all this to protect Mary from getting hurt any further if she happened to tell anyone about Mulciber—if she even remembered—but I knew in my heart that justice would not be served this way. That man should be punished, but here we are silently trying to gloss over something that needs to be mended.

Regulus gave me a final look.

Was I right for trusting his word?

I could never quite tell what were hidden behind those gray eyes but the way he'd always met my eyes with them left me speechless yet at a still ease.

Once I knocked once on the door, Regulus had vanished.

I poked my head into the infirmary and found only empty beds along the two walls. There was only one occupied which was situated at the end of the left row near the window.

Mary was still in bed- hoisted up against the pillows again her back. She was so preoccupied in her book that she didn't notice me walking up to her until I took a seat on the stool near her.

"How are you feeling?"

The redhead looked up from her book, a little startled.

"Oh Elise, it's you? Is Lily here too?" she looked about but when she found no one her eyes fell on me.

"No it's just me. I heard you're checking out today"

She nodded her heard. The girl was much more soft-spoken than before the incident. "Yes…" her voice fainted away and then a stillness and silence consumed us.

I looked around and crossed my legs together. I didn't know how I was going to ask my question without making it seem too forced.

My eyes lingered around the necklace she was uncomfortably playing with.

"It's kind of you to stop by again" Mary let out a genuine smile which turned my smile into something pitiful "Really"

"I just hope you're feeling better" I said again.

She nodded while closing her eyes but there was something hidden behind her nod—something sad and weary.

My eyes moved about the room again, searching for Madame Pomfrey but she was no where to be found. That's when I found my strength and brought my stool closer to the girl and then touch her hand.

She was frightened and met my eyes, trying to move her hand away but my words caught her attention "Do you remember anything from that night?"

Her brown eyes widened and all she could do was nod her head. I wasn't sure if that nod, thought, was a yes or a no.

She hesitated, looking out the window and watching the raindrops hit the window pane with its continuous pangs. "I know people have asked me before… I-I…" her voice cracked

I spoke lower, edging on my seat and hunching over, closer to her. "What is it?" I just wanted to affirm if she knew it was Mulciber who's cursed her or not.

"I know the way you look at him, Regulus…. I see it"

I became stiff, letting go of her hand as she slowly turned her head towards my direction.

I was petrified at what she was assuming and accusing.

"No. Mary you've got—"

"—I'm not daft. I saw the two of you outside together before the break"

"Mary, I…" I couldn't explain myself. I was at a loss of words. I knew we should have been more careful or I just should have refused altogether.

She interrupted my thoughts but this time with a somewhat nostalgic and yet pathetically sad smile.

"So that is why I think I can trust you"

I was silent as I played my fingers, cupping them over my lap.

"I'd been talking to him. Well… we were fighting over something I don't remember about. He got mad… " Mary was staring at her hands as well but she was zoned out. Lost somewhere far off she couldn't quite leave yet " … so much so he'd pulled out his wand. Merlin!" tears were brimmed at the edge of her eye lids "I don't even know what I said to him!... No… wait…I'd called him off for being such a pratt..—"

"—Mary" I didn't want to hear anymore. Merlin was playing a sick joke—her situation was starting to sound like a warning.

She continued anyway as if she didn't hear me "We kept our relationship secretive for a two whole years but at the ball when he'd been flirting with some other Slytherin twit of a girl, I threatened to tell everybody about him and us and that's when he pulled out his wand. I was so frightened…. He'd never done that before…. But it hurt much more to know he was willing to cast a dark spell on me then validate o-our….our…" the red head was drenched in her own tears and she tried to look up at me but she couldn't find the courage.

"Mary…" I tried to sympathize with her but I was more scared of what she was telling "have you talked to him at all, afterwards?"

"I didn't realize he was the one who'd done it until during the winter vacation! He, still, though, hasn't ever dropped by…" she was said and yet angry. "Is he still even attending school?"

I nodded my head with a yes, grimly.

"That bastard... he doesn't even feel guilty" she was crying again but this time because she knew she should hate him and scorn him and tell Dumbledore that it was he who'd cursed her but she loved him too much to let that happen and because of all that she was probably feeling an immense amount of self pity and shame. After all, Mary was from a family of courageous and brilliant wizards all fighting with Dumbledore to defeat the Dark Lord while Mulciber and his family had a long history and relationship with the Dark Lord. It was a startling surprise at how Mary and Mulciber could even begin to like each other.

"I still don't understand why you are telling me all of this"

Between one of her hiccups she wiped her eyes and gripped my hand, tightly. Her pupils were suddenly fixed on me. It made my insides tighten and constrict. She was trying to make me realize the similarity in our situations but our situations were not alike at all!

Unlike Mulciber, Regulus has some kindness to him; he had a sense of what is right deep down… Besides, there was nothing between Regulus and me.

Mary's lips curved into some sort of a grin.

My face grew stern and I hastily got up. "I'm sorry" I let out coldly but I chocked towards the end of my sentence "… I hope you feel better"

I pushed myself out of the ward and stood silently alone in the dark corridor for a while. I felt like burying my face into my palms and crying because in my heart I knew this was all a warning. I shouldn't be feeling any feelings towards Regulus; he's a Black and I know I'd been denying it thus far, but I'm sure he has full intentions of joining the Dark Lord. Although I've seen in him a much kinder light, I can't refuse to acknowledge his ties with the Dark Lord…

I sighed trying to let go of this heavy pressure on my chest and looked up to with closed eyes to hold back the water in my eyes.

I should be smarter than this.

"What are you doing here?"

My head shot up as I quickly wiped at my eyes but I had no chance to because I was being shoved against one of the columns.

Something kicked within me and I reached for my wand.

I stood face to face with Mulciber and his wand pointing at my cheek. "Look what I've found…" he grabbed my wrist and twisted it hard enough for my grip to slip on my wand and let it drop to the floor.

I let out a scream but he covered my mouth. I was terrified

"Shut it!"

I tried to bite his hand but he pressed harder against my jaw and cheeks. I was feeling faint due to the lack of air, my nose was starting to run from before and my eyes were streaming and yet, above all, my eyes were so angry I was straining them.

"What did you just talk to her about?"

I tried to speak but he forgot he still had his hand covering my mouth.

"Tell me?" he harshly and yet in a hushed manner bellowed. "I knew I should have taken care of you and your filthy family during the break. You just can't keep your mouth… shut!" at the last word he dug the tip of his wand deeper into my cheek making them grow hot and probably red with irritation.

I wanted to plead and just beg him to let me go but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He was scum and he needed to know his actions were not going to go unpunished. But this was easier to say and think than do; I was pushed against concrete with my feet dangling a few inched above the ground with fear clearly stamped on my forehead—I obviously had no advantage against him.

I watched him silently though my blurred vision; the dark brunette looked almost barbaric. His wicked expression seemed more menacing with his bangs creating a shadow over his dark eyes.

There was a moment in which I saw the Killing curse being uttered on his lips but it was only my fear generating these images.

I thought I would have been so much stronger when going against people like Avery but I was weak and pathetic. I only paraded about with the mentality that when it'd be my time to take part in the Wizarding War, the gang and I would valiantly bring any death eater to their knees and finally vanquish the Dark Lord with the help of Dumbledore. I didn't think that in reality, it'd be me cowering in front of a wand.

"Avery" someone had grabbed Mulciber's hand tightly making the man drop his wand.

Mulciber tore his eyes away from me and to Regulus who stood sternly, crushing Mulciber's hand. "Stay out of this, Black! I know she's told Dumbledore."

Regulus glanced at me quickly but I stood paralyzed in front of the two, unable to stop the water in my eyes from falling.

"You're afraid of Dumbledore?"

"I-" he started but didn't finish.

They exchanged looks and I felt even more uneasy.

"Leave! Before you're discovered! I'll take care of this" I was surprised and horrified from the dangerous tone to his voice. I'd never seen Regulus like this and suddenly Mary's look from before was falling into perspective.

He was reluctant at first but after a few moments Mulciber released his grip on me. To my astonishment I didn't know my legs would give in the way they would because I slide to the floor in a dull thud. With shaky hands, I searched for my wand but Mulciber kicked it away with a snarl "How pathetic." With an accio spell he retrieved his own wand and started to walk off.

I looked up at Regulus' dark face. He stood still, not acknowledging Avery any further. "Get up"

I did hear him but my whole body felt numb and lifeless.

"Get up" he spoke louder, bending down to grab me by my arms but I was lost somewhere between trying to hold back a curse for Mulciber and just watching him walk away in fear.

"Get up!"

Avery turned around when he heard Regulus with a smirk on his face. He wiped his mouth before fading into the corridor.

When he was completely gone, Regulus fully knelt down in front of me trying to control my balance by still keeping a firm grip on my arms.

"Elise"

His voice added to the anxiety I was starting to feel.

Was Mary right after all? Why hadn't Regulus taking full action against Mulciber? Why was he keeping Avery safe from Dumbledore? He just assaulted me and Regulus wasn't condoning him, Regulus was just pushing past the issue.

"Eli" His voice was lower and almost endearing.

Where was this kinder side in front of Avery?

I raised my hand up to him to make him stop talking. I tried to get up myself, trying to push his hands off my arm but my balance was so off that I slide down again.

"I'm helping you!" he hissed.

"I thought you saw him?" I couldn't help but shout.

He shook me so our eyes could meet. I refused to look at him, blinking my directing to something on the wall.

"I just saved you"

"You cowardly let Mulciber walk away."

The men—my brother and his friends- I surrounded myself were usually brave and courageous and outwardly righteous so why couldn't Regulus, too, act the same and inflict the punishment Avery deserved to receive?

I'd hit something within him because his fingers dug deeper into my flesh. He was struggling to say something but once again he wasn't able to, instead he glared at my face.

At that moment I could not have realized any further how deeply connected he was in this war which was now overtaking our school. Maybe there was kindness buried deep within him, but it was covered with too much ego, dignity and this responsibility to uphold his Slytherin/Black tradition.

He didn't retaliate, instead swallowed his frustration and anger. "Go" the pressure around my arms were gone.

I glanced at him but couldn't find myself to take a good look of him.

My body was telling me not to move and just relax because I was feeling the after math of the sudden shove—maybe it was shock, but I pushed myself up anyway. I clenched my fists and hurriedly walked away from him.


	15. Year IV Part X

_This is a very overdue update... I feel terribly sorry, especially to my awesome reviewers... but I hope the quality of this chapters makes up for it... I hope. Anyway, happy readings! =) Review/ Comment please! _

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><p>The last few months of the school year rushed past quick; there was a certain stillness and gloom to them. Many older students—especially Mulciber- had left early in order to protect themselves or take on a greater role in the Wizarding war and so now the halls felt dead and empty. That spirit which gripped every student, even Slytherins, as they'd walk the halls had vanished and that only deeper ingrained the odd and depressing situation with Regulus.<p>

I sat at my house table, listening to Flitwick's chorus. It was the last day of school and they were performing their annual celebratory song. Most students didn't quite bother with their song- tiredly looking away to their friends and continuing their conversations with low whispers.

"You'll be in our cart, right?"

I watched Dumbledore from afar talking to Professor Randletop with little gestures towards the Gryffindor table. I followed his gaze.

"Hey, Eli? Are you listening?" Greg bumped his elbow to mine but I'd quickly met with Mary's -who was seated next to Lily and the rest of Lily and James' group of friends.

I could sense Al had noticed and followed suit with his brother to get my attention but I was far too focused on the awkward connection Mary and I had made.

It was awkward only because I knew what she was trying to hint out to me. Ever since she'd told me everything, Mary would always, somehow, make eye contact with me—either in the hall while I was going back to the tower, with Lily and her friends or any other time at the great hall. I wasn't sure if she was trying to drive home the thought of Regulus and I further in my mind or simply curious of what had happened to Mulciber—something I really didn't have a clue to. After that night I left everything hanging and tried to forget about Mulciber. I only noticed his vacant seat at the Slytherin table when James had pointed it out to me; no one was quite sure if he was expelled or if he just simply dropped out.

I quickly tried to swallow away the tight feeling in my throat and looked over to the twins a little too fretfully.

"What is it?"

"Yeah!" I bobbed my head so hard that Greg and Al made funny looks at each other.

Greg pushed his glasses further against his nose "Yeah to what?"

"I mean, yes I'll be joining you guys at the cart"

"—But you didn't answer our other ques—"

Al blocked off Greg with weary look "Is something the matter? You've been…distracted…. lately" he looked over to the Gryffindor table but his focus was on Sirius and Remus rather than Mary.

The choir was nearing the end of their song because of the soft and prolonged tempo they'd changed to.

"I…"

From the corner of my right eye, behind us, I saw Regulus sitting with his few remaining Slytherins friends. I couldn't bring myself to try to figure out if he was even looking at me, what he might have been thinking or… whatever… because since that afternoon I promised myself to wipe out this pathetic attraction I had towards him.

"…I…" I was stuttering again.

He was looking me, he had to be; there was this vibe slithering its way from him to me.

My pupils were shifting to their sides and my insides were coiling in a sloppy mess.

I ignored Al's questioning look and continued my sly glance over to Regulus only to be suddenly broken out of action with Dumbledore's loud call of attention.

"Thank you, Choir, for that beautiful piece!"

Everyone's attention returned to the podium and Al, Greg and my conversation was dropped.

I was disappointed in myself. No—actually I was not nearly as disappointed in myself as I was with Regulus.

The past few months went by with neither of us talking to one another. I was too disappointed and angry at Regulus to think about or even talk to him and he, judging from his reactions, was too frustrated with the whole dilemma to talk to me.

I wanted to know why Regulus hadn't just stood up for me and why he'd chosen to favor Mulciber rather than me. Granted, I know I probably don't mean much to him but I thought we'd both realized Mulciber was the bad guy and that we were both going to work on punishing him.

"And now, it's time to announce the winner of this year's House Cup"

There were hollers and whoops all around. The Quidditch cup had already gone to Gryffindor this year with a nail-bitingly close match with Hufflepuff. The scores were so close, that Gryffindor's win was harsh for Hufflepuff but grand for Gryffindor.

"Yeah! Gryffindor! Gryffindor!" The Prewitt twins had shot up clapping and leading their house with their chant. Sirius had joined up with the two, " it's the year of the Lion, mates!" he patted James shoulder, shaking him a little to remind everyone of the winning catch James had made which won them the Quidditch Cup.

Amidst the cheering, I head snickers and hisses from the Slytherins behind us and a louder uproar from the Hufflepuff across from us. Ravenclaws were too indifferent to the cup due to our four year consecutive loosing streak.

"Settle down, Settle down!"

"Gryffindor!" Fabian let out a last roar before being silenced by McGonagall's threat to take away house points.

"This year's House Cup goes to a house which practiced respectful behavior…" at that moment I saw Fabian and Gideon looking at each other a little confused and defeated by the little gibe.

Holly looked at me hopefully from across the table "Maybe we won?"

"Randletop has taken too many points from us because of me"

"…and a true and genuine kindness despite these dark times…."

Bradley raised his shoulders at Holly when she excitedly grabbed his hand.

"Hufflepuff!"

Immediately, the banners of the hall were changed into schemes of yellow and black.

There was a moment of sheer silence—all of the Gryffindors looking at each other both embarrassed, utterly defeated and disheartened- before one of the seventh year Hufflepuffs started to rally up their house chant.

"Guess that settles that" Bradley sighed as Holly let go of his hand, disappointed.

"Next year, perhaps" Greg reassured her but an eighth year chimed in with her doubt.

"And so now the year winds down with a much deserved win." The headmaster raised his goblet to their table and nodded smugly at them. "May their kindness and behavior remain as a precedent for other houses to follow next year. While times may be growing difficult and trying, it can be said that remaining true and genuine can help guide one through this dark shadow which has been cast." Dumbledore nodded with a sip which was followed by the other professors.

I rested my head on my palm while grabbing my goblet of pumpkin juice with my other hand. I watched the liquid swirl around in my cup and then took a small sip.

* * *

><p>We boarded the train to leave Hogwarts a couple of hours later and took a couple of more hours to, then, settle down and find our compartment.<p>

At first, Ed and I sat uncomfortably between Holly and Bradley and the twins sat on our opposite sides with Emily Wood, but it didn't take long before we rearranged ourselves.

"You never really answered my question from before"

Holly and Bradley were animatedly talking to Emily and Greg about their future summer plans together while Al, Ed and I were huddled in our corner near the window, solemnly looking at each other.

"Oh…." I shrugged. "…Yeah, I'm fine"

"Family, alright?" Ed asked, looking down at his hands and them at me.

"Yeah, yeah! Mum's pretty good. Her letters keep me sane—"

"-it's the war than, isn't it?" Al shot

"Not particularly" I made a face because I didn't know how to describe my feelings to them without giving out too much information and materialize, to myself, what it exactly was that I was feeling.

Ed instantly understood however, in his own terms. "I know what you mean" he let out a chuckle but it wasn't out of amusement but at how he wasn't the only one feeling this weird atmosphere either "With so many kids out of school now, this… this fight seems more real, doesn't it"

I felt that too… but that wasn't what I was quite feeling at all.

I, nevertheless, nodded with that same sort of chuckle, looking down at my shoes. "So many people I thought were decent and good are turning out to be something else…."

Al's eyes narrowed probably trying to read my mind of which people I was talking about but I knew he was just to oblivious to know who I was exactly talking about.

"But it's this… this… feeling of impending disaster… and bad decisions which frightens me. A-are we ready at all for what's coming?"

"No, we're not"

It wasn't Al or Ed who'd answered my question; in fact, it wasn't anyone from our compartment.

I raised my head and laid my eyes on Remus standing at the opening of the cart, in front of the sliding door so it wouldn't close on him.

"We will never be. But in order to create the ideal world we've always dreamed of…, we have to at least act prepared and thrust ourselves into the arena"

"And withstand all those bad decisions and mistakes?" I asked innocently

Remus smiled, sadly "Awful decisions and disasters are life, but yes, we do, so the next generation doesn't have to feel what we've felt" he spoke the last few words of his sentence slowly to let it sink.

I stared at the fresh cuts and scraps on his face until out eyes met. There was something soft yet unyielding about them. He acted so meek and bruised on the outside but I knew there was something old and brave inside of him.

"I came to ask if you wanted to come to our compartment for a little bit. James is looking for you" he broke the stillness with a sweet smile.

I let out a breath, taken from what Remus had just.

"Sure" I stood up and walked out; the motion from the train and everything spinning in my head didn't help the discombobulated feeling I was experiencing.

* * *

><p>"There you are! We'd been looking for you"<p>

When we'd reached the cart, Sirius immediately sat up with a cheery smile and Lily and Alice started to part to make room for me.

"I'm not that hard to lose. I'm sure you all knew where I was."

Remus took his seat between Frank and James, across from Lily, Alice and Peter.

"You squeeze past like mouse. I thought we'd established you were going to ride with us" Peter added while continuing to deal cards with James.

James grinned "Maybe that's what should have been your animagus animal"

"I only know how to transfigure into a rabbit… "

"Who knows maybe that's your Patronus, then?"

I shrugged at Frank's comment "I guess I'll find out for sure next year, then"

"Or we can teach you this summer!"

"I can't yet!"

"Right… sorry" Sirius gleamed; he was deliberately trying to rub in the fact that they were all now able to use magic outside of school and I still wasn't.

"Besides if I can transfigure into a rabbit so easily, then my Patronus has to be a rabbit, no?"

James picked up his cards, concealing them from Remus next to him "Not necessarily, it's harder for me to transform into a stag"

Lily interrupted "the smaller the animal, the easier it is to turn into them, remember"

I shrugged and then the rest of the cart slowly went back to resuming their games.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. I talked to Lily and Alice for a while before Alice and Frank went off to get something to eat down at the dining area with Dorcas and Emmeline. From there the three boys lazily talked about their summer plans and Lily, about the magical feather quill which wrote what you told it to that she bought at Hogsmeade for her sister.

"I thought you said your sister had some weird…" Sirius wiggled his fingers with a disgusted look "…phobia of magic"

With nearly closed eyes, I watched the red head shrug "I never said that… She just hasn't experienced the better side of magic, that's all…" her voice trailed but then James nudged at her elbow with a small smile and her mood almost immediately perked up "it's in pink, so she has to like…"

The motion of the train ride coupled with the casual talk amongst the five lulled my eyes shut for a moment. I kept telling myself that I'd open them again to talk but I almost immediately fell asleep once my eyes were closed.

* * *

><p>"…Blimey, it can't be getting that bad"<p>

There was a shift in the seat next to me and I blinked my eyes a little before squinting them to block out the sudden rush I felt when I opened them.

"Who must have told Dumbledore that it was, Mulciber?"

My head was against the window of the cart and the awkward position made my neck throb but I kept quiet to continue listening to the five.

"Do you think…"

Sirius was talking about me, I was sure of it. They'd grown quiet and I felt their gaze on me.

"I tried to ask her, but she said she didn't see anything" Lily interjected.

"Let's just ask her-"

"-No, James…"

They weren't really going to wake me up were they? Technically, I wasn't asleep anymore but I couldn't believe they'd really wake me up for this now. How rude.

"Eli!"

I pretended to not hear them at first.

"She's sleeping, leave her alone" Lily tried to calm my brother "we can ask her later"

"Eli!" Sirius shook me hard and took a strong grip of my arms.

"… Wh-what?" I think I did a good job of pretend-waking up because they bought it when I blinked once and then once more to rub them while I took a long yawn. "I'm tired, can't you just let me sleep"

"We're almost here anyway" Remus dead panned

James was at the edge of his seat watching me intently "But we have a question to ask you"

"About what?" I sat up straight and tried to rub off the pain in my neck.

"Were you the one who told Dumbledore about Mulciber?"

I was silent at first because I didn't know where to take the conversation without revealing too much and also because I didn't remember what I'd told them about that night.

Remus sensed my confusion "We found out he was expelled because he was the one who cursed Mary at the night of the Winter Ball"

I hadn't directly told Dumbledore it was Mulciber and the headmaster is surely not naïve enough to act upon a hunch of a fourth year girl. He couldn't have expelled Mulciber because of me.

I nodded my head, meekly "Its news to me"

Peter sighed and so did James, but my brother grabbed his chin as he did so.

"It doesn't matter" Lily finally spoke "at least he's gone and he's been punished"

"Punished?" Sirius spat "He's gotten what he wanted all along!"

"What are you talking about" Peter shrugged.

I was still stuck at who'd told Dumbledore about Mulciber. Regulus and I were the only ones who'd seen him and after what went on that afternoon I was sure it wasn't Regulus.

"Don't act like you don't know he's already one them…"

"A Death Eater" James wasn't afraid of saying it.

Sirius nodded and I saw in his eyes he felt a little ashamed for not having the courage to say it. He continued on anyway "He has all the time to do what he pleases now. He's probably getting stronger as we speak, how-how" the curly haired boy was so frustrated he couldn't speak any longer.

Remus took a heavy breath, leaning back against his seat "So what are you trying to say?

His eyes started to gleam and, for a moment, I think I saw that same spirit in James as if he already understood what Sirius was talking about "That when it comes time for _us _to fight, I don't him or any of the others…" he was talking about the other Slytherin drop outs "…to have the upper-hand"

"The school surely isn't preparing us for anything" Lily thought aloud

"But Dumbledore…" I finally spoke and when they all focused their attention on me, I froze for a moment

"Dumbledore? What has he—"

I interrupted James before he could doubt him "Haven't you been reading the Daily Prophet? Dumbledore released a public statement that he'd be changing Hogwarts curriculums next year to help the students. Despite the Ministry's push for closure"

Sirius' eyebrows knitted together "What does that mean?"

Remus sighed "It means, you'll get what you want… an army right? An army of justice to wipe out all evil" he then mocked Sirius with a grin towards the end to which Sirius only smiled back too.

"But isn't that too…" Lily paused to think of the right word "…open? I mean, why would Dumbledore release a statement like that? Parents will start to pull their children out of Hogwarts and then the Dark Lord…if he learns we're preparing for something won't he prepare as well to create that war or "something" we're all so eagerly preparing for"

"The war has already started" James pointed out, realistically "and more attacks are imminent; Dumbledore is right for letting us prepare"

"But…"

I understood and agreed with Lily. She was right about the backlash; if we're asking for another attack then surely the Dark Lord is going to have to oblige us eventually. "No, I agree with Lily. It would have been smarter for him to remain quite about administering these "classes" to the students"

"Well…" The train was starting to lower in its speed. The scenic view of the countryside was long gone and we were now in London. Remus started to get up and reach for his bag "let's just see what these classes end up teaching

* * *

><p>We stopped at King's Cross only a few minutes after our conversation. The silence of what I believed were sleeping students due to late hour was gone and now everyone was fretting to board off the train.<p>

"I saw Mum outside near the platform entrance…" James was struggling to look back at me and walk ahead without holding up the rush of students trying to get off.

I was still thinking about what we'd talked about, especially about Mulciber's exposition. I only wish Mary knew as well so she could quit looking at me the way she does.

"Eli?"

I wasn't paying attention; instead my eye had caught onto a third year girls' frustrated face. She was trying to push herself forward and around me, her expression suddenly and oddly reminded me of Regulus' face right when he didn't know how to answer me that afternoon.

Right… how could I be so shallow and doubtful... It must have been Regulus how'd told Dumbledore. I immediately felt stupid; Regulus was smart, he concealed his true intentions in revealing Dumbledore about Mulciber quietly because he didn't want "something" to happen or a target to be drawn on our foreheads.

"…Dammit Eli, you can be so spacey! I'm talking to you!"

"What?"

James was stopped in the middle of the walkway, looking at me sternly and cursing the kids behind us to shut up "… did you grab everything?"

Darn it, my bag… I left it with Holly and everyone else. I smiled to ease my guilt and soften James "I'll be right back, go to mum with Sirius, I'll met you there"

James sighed but Sirius shrugged- waving his hand for me to go already "Just hurry up!"

I was already gone, trying to weave my way back towards the cart. Midway, the cluster of students abruptly ended and the train was completely silent and still, the only noises came from the families outside.

Thirty-one, Thirty-two…. I passed the compartments steadily. Thirty-six, Thirty-

"Eli?"

I was counting in my head and watching the gold plated numbers so attentively that I hit my nose hard into Regulus' shoulder.

Dammit…. I was planning on meeting him soon anyway to possibly apologize but I this was too early. I hadn't had anything prepared… I wasn't mentally prepared to face him yet. We can't talk now?!

I bounced back and rubbed my nose, trying to shake away the inevitable pain which started a second after I touched it. "Why aren't you off the train yet? Where are your friends?" I fired first.

"I left one of my bags behind…"

I finally took a notice to the boy, watching his awkward stance and uneasy expression. He never acted this way around me before; he's always suave and composed with a slight of hint of arrogance in his air.

Regulus' almost soft reply made my eyes, which I'd been so sternly watching him with, lessen in tension. It was hard not to feel a little concern when he peered through his black bangs like that. "Funny…" I giggled and I immediately wanted to punch myself for acting like such a love-sick puppy "… me too"

With his small smile he let out an even smaller chuckle, but he wasn't laughing at me as much as with me.

Why wasn't he as frustrated and angry as before? Was he actually feeling some sort of guilt?

I sighed abruptly "Look—"

Regulus interrupted me by walking back into the compartment to which I followed only because I heard someone outside. I watched him lower the binds quickly from the on-lookers outside before I continued "—I know you must have told Dumbledore about Mulciber and I—" I was already having a hard time trying to figure out how I was exactly going to verbalize my apology but Regulus had to walk uncomfortably close towards me.

"—are you trying to apologize?"

I was expecting a proud and triumphant smirk on his lips when I looked up to watch him but instead I found a curious one. And once I was looking I was entrapped in that electrifying web he always seemed to entangle me in. "I..." I wasn't stuttering only at a lost of words.

The train suddenly jolted a little forward and I was about to fall on the bench before I tightly held onto the luggage rails up top. When looked up again I realized Regulus had advanced a little closer to help. I coughed awkwardly before kicking myself to finish up already "I just didn't realize that you were just playing this game smart… what I mean is…you were smart for not taking Mulciber head on. After all, who knows what might have happened if you—"

"I wasn't afraid of him and what he was capable of doing that night. I just had a liability to look after which held me down—"

"Are you calling me a liability?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt and I didn't want _others_ distrusting me, either"

The train engine hissed and the horn squealed; it probably meant that the train was going to leave again soon.

"…I see…" I crossed my arms, looking nowhere in particular. "…Well then I'm so—"

"—No, I…" I had started to make my towards the door to leave but Regulus followed, holding to door to make me listen to him "You shouldn't apologize; it was wrong of me to treat you that way…there just wasn't much I could have done…" he hopelessly looked at me unable to say the things he wanted to say to me so I could understand.

A small smile formed at my lips.

But I did understand, I was just being hard-headed at the time but now I realized how frustrating it probably was for him to balance his friends and ties with what he probably thought right.

"… well I know I should have explained this to you earlier but—"

"—hey" I whispered and nudged his arm "I understand"

To my words he simply tilted his head a little—at first a bit confused but then smug.

I thought I saw a humble and soft smile on his own lips which I only then confirmed when his head advanced towards mine.

But then our heads suddenly jerked towards the window where we heard the conductor ringing the bell to announce the bags which no one had picked up yet. They had to be ours.

My eyes flickered back to Regulus' but he'd already opened the door. "I think those are probably mine" although he'd opened the door he still hadn't given me my personal space.

With an awkward grin I tried to slip away.

"Wait"

Just as I'm made it out of the compartment Regulus grabbed my hand. It was the first contact we'd had since that afternoon and it didn't make me feel as uncomfortable as I probably would have thought so a week ago.

"Didn't you forget your other bags as well?" amused, he pointed down the other way of the train.

I let out a laugh, scratching my head, embarrassed. "Yeah…right" To that I tried to go on my way but he still hadn't let me go.

"Wait" he called to me once again.

I sighed, playfully "What this time?"

With that roguish smirk of his, Regulus slightly chuckled "Have you gotten any better with Quidditch?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Is that a no?"

We'd been here for far too long. James and Sirius had to be looking for me and if they found me here with Regulus…. Well I wouldn't know how to explain myself but finally talking to him after such a long period of time felt… relaxing.

My shoulders lowered and I sheepishly nodded.

"If you're ever planning on getting better…"

"—Free lessons? Wow, it must be my lucky day" I sarcastically nudged his arm again to which he only lightened in his mood.

"So you don't end up falling next time"

A next time?

I couldn't help but smile to myself at the thought of taking another ride like that with Regulus.

"How about I just hold on tighter next time" it came out much more playful than I wanted it to and I immediately felt embarrassed for saying it.

Though, Regulus simply brushed bangs back which immediately and perfectly bounced back in front of his forehead. I was waiting for a verbal reply but he only nodded and then finally let go of my hand.

"I'll see you next year" he started to walk away with a soft smirk.

"Yeah…" Merlin, why do I felt so breathless, "…have a great summer holiday"


End file.
